


Sowing Seeds of Trust

by Jrob64



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Homelessness, Slow Burn, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-24
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 03:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 46,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28949535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jrob64/pseuds/Jrob64
Summary: Emma Swan is a young woman without a family, friends, a home, and now a boyfriend after he tries to pin his crime on her. When she goes looking for help from a local charity at a church, she ends up meeting a group of people, including a handsome blue-eyed man, who offer her friendship...and a whole lot more.
Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan
Comments: 137
Kudos: 94





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter summary: Homeless Emma Swan seeks help at a church charity, and ends up staying to volunteer, which leads to her meeting Mary Margaret, David and Killian. 
> 
> This story came about because of all the kindness that's been shown by all of you after I posted my other stories! If it weren't for people reading, giving the stories kudos and leaving lovely comments, I wouldn't be motivated to write anything else. I absolutely have to thank my wonderful beta Mary, and my friend Saj, for encouraging me and being a second reader to make sure everything is consistent.

*********

Emma Swan stuck her thumbs under the worn straps of her backpack and heaved a sigh, then murmured, _“They’re not gonna help you, Emma. Why would they?”_ She had a habit of talking to herself, since she had no one else to whom she _could_ talk. At nineteen years of age, she had no family, no home, no real friends and now, no boyfriend. 

When the possession of stolen property charges against her were dropped due to lack of evidence, the officer who had originally arrested her recommended a charity organization run by the church which was across the street from where she was currently standing. He had realized that she would be on her own since Neal was incarcerated for stealing a car, and told her she’d be able to get a little food and some warmer clothing here. She couldn’t really risk shoplifting so soon after being released from jail, so she decided to take his advice. 

She was glad that witnesses had come forward to say she hadn’t been the one to actually break into the car and hot-wire it, which contradicted the statement Neal had made. The look on his face when he accused _her_ of being the thief to try to clear himself, told her that he’d been lying when he said he loved her. She’d been stupid enough to believe him, and to fall in love with him too, and now she’d gotten her heart broken. 

She should have known better than to put her trust in him. All her life, she’d paid the price for trusting the wrong people. Now, as she rubbed her fingers over the swan key fob she wore on a chain around her neck - the one Neal had stolen for her - she strengthened her resolve to build the walls higher around her heart. 

She stood on the sidewalk for a few more minutes, watching the people outside the church bustling about. They were all dressed simply in jeans and hoodies, but she could still tell that she didn’t have much in common with any of them. 

She shivered and yanked the cuffs of her own worn and faded sweatshirt down over her knuckles. Even in North Carolina, it was chilly in early November. 

“Are you here to help?” a voice asked, causing Emma to jump. The person who had spoken was standing right beside her and took her by surprise. She was usually very aware of her surroundings and other people who happened to be in them.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you!”

She turned to look at the owner of the deep, accented voice and found herself face-to-face with a very good-looking man who appeared to be just a few years older than herself.

He smiled kindly and offered his hand. “Killian Jones, at your service. I assume you’re here to volunteer?”

She eyed his hand warily, then finally reached forward to briefly shake it, barely touching it as she did. “I...I was just...w-watching,” she stuttered. Then an idea crossed her mind - _maybe if I volunteer, they’d be more likely to help me._ “Um, would it be okay if I did?”

His grin got wider. “Of course, we can always use more help! Let me show you around, Miss…”

Emma hesitated for a moment. She didn’t usually like people to know her name, but if she was going to be working with him, she’d have to give it sooner or later. “Uh, Emma. Emma...Swan.”

“Okay, Swan. Come with me.” He walked on ahead of her, and she fell into step behind him.

Killian strode up to a petite woman with short dark hair. “Hey, M’s! This is Emma Swan. She’s here to volunteer today.” He turned to Emma. “This is Mary Margaret Blanchard. She’s the organizer here and she’ll give you your assignment.”

“Hi Emma, it’s nice to meet you! I’m so happy you’re here!” Her smile was wide and genuine. 

“Uh, thanks,” Emma said uncertainly. 

“Where’s Dave?” Killian asked.. 

“He’s on the other side of the building, helping set up the pet adoption area. I’m sure he could use some help.” 

“Right, then. I’d better go show him how to do it!” he chuckled. “See you at lunch, M’s. You too, Swan.” He turned and headed around the side of the church. 

“Um, lunch?” Emma asked. “We get lunch?”

“Of course! We can’t let you work here all day without feeding you!” Mary Margaret assured her.

Emma subconsciously licked her lips. She hadn’t had much to eat since she was released from jail two days ago. Actually, she hadn’t really minded being incarcerated for eleven days. At least she’d had a cot to sleep on and three meals a day. 

“What made you decide to volunteer today?” Mary Margaret asked, tapping Emma’s name into an iPad. 

“Oh, uh, someone told me that you do good charity work here, and I just...I thought it would be nice to help,” Emma lied, not wanting them to know that _she_ was the one who needed help. 

“I’m certainly glad you decided to. We always have plenty of work and not enough hands to do it.”

“What...what do you want me to do?”

“Well, I’m going to need someone to help organize the food pantry. We have another food drive coming up in two weeks, and we need to know what we already have so when we put out the appeal, we’ll have a better idea of what to ask for.”

“Oh, okay. Where is it?” 

“In the basement of the church. Follow me.” 

Emma followed a few steps behind Mary Margaret, who kept turning her head to talk to her. “I still have several volunteers coming in, so I’ll get you started then come back out here.”

“Am I doing this alone?”

“No, I’ll assign someone else to work with you.” Mary Margaret glanced at the young woman’s face and saw a concerned look pass across it. “Actually, I’ll probably be the one to help since I want to do inventory and make a list of needed items.” Another quick peek told her that Emma had relaxed a bit after that last comment. 

They reached the basement and entered a large room lined with shelves that had a few food items scattered upon them. Stacked on the floor were close to fifteen cardboard boxes. Mary Margaret pulled the flaps open on one of the boxes on top. Emma leaned forward to peek into it and saw numerous cans of food. 

“We need to unpack these boxes and organize the food on the shelves.” She gestured around the room. “Canned goods go over there, boxed food on the back shelves, and food in bags over here,” she explained, pointing out the designated areas. “The boxes have been packed and sorted into those categories. I’d like for you to start with the canned goods. You can see that the shelves are labeled. Just put the cans in the right place.”

“Sounds easy enough,” Emma stated, plucking a can of corn out of the box. 

“Don’t worry about counting them, we’ll do that after we have everything on the shelves. It’s easier that way.”

“Okay.”

Mary Margaret smiled at her again. “Do you have any questions?”

“No, I think I’m good. Unpack and stack. Got it.”

“Good! Then I’ll just head back outside.”

“Wait - you, uh, why do you trust me to do this? You don’t even know me.”

“There’s no reason why I _shouldn’_ t trust you, is there?”

Emma looked at the other woman in disbelief. She was used to other people assuming the worst of her, but Mary Margaret didn’t seem to hesitate at all in giving her a chance. 

“Um, no, there’s not.” She slid her backpack off and set it against the shelves. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I get everyone assigned to a job,” Mary Margaret said before turning and scurrying up the stairs. 

*********

When Mary Margaret reentered the storage room, she was very surprised at what she saw. 

“Emma!” she exclaimed. 

The blonde woman whipped around. “What? Did I do something wrong?” She backed away a couple of steps to put more space between the two of them. 

“No! It’s just that you got so much done!” She gestured toward the shelves of canned goods, which were now much more full and neatly organized.

She could see Emma start to smile at the praise, but then she dropped her eyes and pressed her lips together firmly. “I, uh, I just did what you told me to do.”

It wasn’t lost on Mary Margaret that the person standing in front of her had yet to make eye contact with her, and she seemed defensive and mistrustful. Mary Margaret’s heart went out to her.

“I was just starting on the boxed food. Do you want me to keep doing that?” Emma asked.

“Yes, good idea. You continue that, while I start inventory on the canned goods.”

“O-okay. Do you, um, is there a certain amount of food that you have on the shelves?”

“No, it always varies, depending on what’s been donated. The next food drive will probably be a bigger one because it’s closer to the holidays.”

“Oh yeah, Thanksgiving and Christmas, that’s right. I kinda forgot about them.” Emma reached into a cardboard box to pull out two boxes of instant potatoes, so she missed the puzzled look that Mary Margaret gave her about her last remark. 

They worked quietly for the next twenty minutes as Emma stocked the shelves with the donated items, and Mary Margaret counted and recorded the numbers on her tablet. 

When they heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, Emma turned wide eyes toward the doorway. A sandy-haired, broad-shouldered man entered the room, smiled at her, then turned to give Mary Margaret a kiss on the cheek. Her face lit up and her eyes sparkled. 

“David, this is Emma Swan, a new volunteer. Emma, this is David Nolan, my boyfriend.”

“Hey,” Emma said softly, giving him a little wave. 

“Nice to meet you, Emma!” he greeted in a friendly voice. “We’re always glad to have more help around here. Makes the work go faster!” 

He started to take a step closer to the young woman, but Mary Margaret had seen the trepidation on Emma’s face when he entered the room, so she grabbed his hand. “What brings you down here, Sweetheart?” she asked.

He looked a bit confused before he cleared his throat and said, “I thought you might want to take a little break. You’ve been at it for a while now.”

“Look how much Emma has accomplished though! She has nearly all of the donation boxes emptied and the shelves organized!”

“Wow! You’re a fast worker!” David said, obviously impressed.

“Uh, well, Mary Margaret helped, of course.”

“I just did the counting, you did all the hard work! David is right - you deserve to take a break. They’ve got snacks ready for us in the church kitchen. Are you hungry?”

She saw an eager look pass across Emma’s face before she composed it back into the mask of indifference she’d been wearing all morning. “Um, sure. I guess I could eat something.” She reached down to grab her backpack. 

“Oh, you can just leave that here. No one will mess with it.”

Emma’s eyes darted back and forth between Mary Margaret and the tattered gold canvas backpack. “No, it’s okay. I...I’m kinda used to having it with me. I feel a little lost without it, you know?”

“That’s fine if you’re more comfortable that way,” Mary Margaret told her, starting to walk toward the steps. 

David smiled at Emma and waved his hand in front of him. “Ladies first.”

Emma gave him a weak smile, hoisted her backpack onto her shoulders, and followed behind the dark-haired woman.

When the three of them entered the kitchen together, there were two other people already there. The man Emma had first met, Killian Jones, was pouring himself a cup of coffee while he talked and laughed with another man. 

Emma’s eyes didn’t rest on him very long since they were drawn to the food on the table beside the coffeemaker. She felt her stomach rumbling and hoped that the couple in front of her didn’t hear it. 

“Help yourself to a snack, Emma,” David encouraged her. “Would you like something to drink? There’s coffee, milk, orange juice, hot chocolate…”

“You have hot chocolate?” she asked, with a slight note of excitement in her voice. 

“It’s just the kind from a packet. Would you like some?” 

“Um, sure. That would be great,” Emma answered, her voice back to sounding emotionless again.

While David moved to the other end of the table beside Killian, Emma scanned the snack table. There was fresh fruit, granola bars and Pop Tarts. She looked at Mary Margaret, who had selected a small orange and was peeling it over a trash can. 

Quickly, she grabbed a package of Pop Tarts off the table and stuffed it into the pouch of her hoodie. She didn’t notice that Killian had been looking in her direction at the time. Before she could glance over to see him watching, he turned to talk to David. He didn’t want to embarrass her by letting her figure out that he’d seen her actions. 

Turning her attention back to the snacks, Emma tentatively reached for a banana and began to peel it. As soon as the fruit inside was revealed, she took a large bite, closed her eyes and smiled as she began to chew. She wanted to savor every bite, but she also wanted to get food to her empty stomach as fast as she could. When she opened her eyes again, Mary Margaret was standing in front of her, looking at her curiously. 

Emma’s cheeks reddened as she swallowed. “You did say that I could help myself…”

“Of course you can, Emma! I just...never mind. You can have more than one snack, you know. You certainly earned it with your work this morning!”

“Do you think you’ll be able to finish the pantry so both of you can help set up for the fundraising event this afternoon?” David asked, approaching with a styrofoam cup in his hand. He held it out to Emma. “Sorry it’s not very hot. The pot we keep the hot water in is on its last legs.”

“No problem, thank you,” Emma said, eagerly taking a sip. This time, even though the liquid chocolate running down her throat tasted like heaven to her, she made sure that she kept her eyes open and the expression on her face neutral. 

“I’m sure we’ll finish pretty quickly since Emma has most of the donations unpacked and I’ve counted all the canned goods. She can help me count and record the rest after she finishes putting everything on the shelves.”

“Good to hear! Oh, I forgot to tell you that we won’t be able to have the face painting station. Eric came down with the flu so he’s not gonna be here today.”

“That’s too bad! His booth is always one of the most popular ones. The kids are going to be so disappointed!”

“Face painting?” Emma asked. “What other kinds of stuff do you have?”

“Well, a lot of it is for the kids,” Mary Margaret explained. “We have a fish pond game, a ball toss and ring toss, guess the number of jellybeans in the jar, things like that. We also have the pet adoption station, which David and Killian were setting up this morning, a book exchange table…”

“Books?” Emma asked as her face lit up.

“Do you like to read?” David inquired, noticing her sudden interest. 

Emma schooled her features again. “Um, yeah, kind of. I mean, it’s okay, I guess,” she stuttered. “How, uh, you said an exchange. Do you have to have books to trade?”

“Not at all!” Mary Margaret assured her. “You can pick out some books, take them home to read, then bring them back next time to exchange them, like you would at a library.”

“Oh, okay. Cool.” Emma tried to look nonchalant, but the couple had both noticed how happy she’d looked at the mention of books. It was the first true emotion they’d seen on her face since she had arrived. 

“So, anyway, unless we suddenly find someone who’s willing to dab some paint on the kids’ faces today, that table is closed,” David said. 

Mary Margaret turned to Emma. “Have you ever done anything like that, Emma?’

The blonde was taken aback. “N-no, but I used to really like to draw. I got to take some art classes at one of the, um, at school. I could try, I suppose.”

“Oh, that’s great!” Mary Margaret said, clasping her hands and giving a little bounce. “They don’t have to be perfect. The kids are happy with any kind of little painted blob on their cheek! I think Eric has a board at the table showing the different options he offers. You can check it out and practice on some paper, if you’d like. It’s not the same as painting on an excited child, but it might help.”

“Okay, maybe I will,” Emma responded. She finished her hot chocolate and stuffed the banana peel into the empty cup. “Did you...did you say it was alright to have another snack?” 

“Of course! Help yourself,” David smiled. 

Emma snatched up a chewy granola bar and started to unwrap it. 

“I’ve got to get back outside,” David told his girlfriend, kissing her on the cheek. “Hey, Jones! Are you ready to head out? Don’t spend too much time with Scarlett. He’ll corrupt you!”

“Oi, Mate! I take offense to that!” the other man with Killian shot back. 

Killian laughed. “Dave’s not wrong though, Will!” He clapped the man named Scarlett on the back. “Have fun blowing up balloons!” he added, then walked over to join David. 

“See you at lunch!” Mary Margaret called as the two men walked out the door. 

Emma finished eating her granola bar and dropped all of her trash into the wastebasket. “What time does the fundraiser start?” 

“One o’clock,” Mary Margaret answered, leading the way to the door. “We’ll eat lunch around eleven-thirty then help get everything set up. That’s when you can practice your painting.”

They descended the stairs to continue their tasks. After several minutes, Emma asked, “How long have you and David been dating?”

“Almost three years now. We met our Sophomore year in college when we were in the same Pop Culture class. We both graduated last year. Now I’m a teacher at an elementary school and David is a police officer.”

At that news, Emma froze. She swallowed hard and slowly reached for another bag of noodles to put on the shelf. 

Mary Margaret hadn’t noticed Emma’s reaction. “I grew up in this town, and wanted to move back after I graduated. I was lucky enough to find a job here, and David did, too. He has an apartment a couple of miles from where I live with my parents.”

“Do you, um, do you think you guys will get married someday?”

Mary Margaret pulled the iPad up to her chest and wrapped her arms around it with a dreamy expression on her face. “I hope so. I mean, we’ve talked about it, but we’d like to save some money before we do anything like that. We’d hate to start out with a lot of debt, you know?”

Emma nodded non-committedly. Mary Margaret let out a happy sigh. “Anyway, I hope it won’t be too long. I just know that he’s _the one_ \- my Prince Charming!” 

They went back to working quietly, and had soon completely finished the organization and inventory of the shelves. 

When they emerged from the basement, Mary Margaret led them around to the backyard where the tables and displays were being set up. She showed Emma the spot where she would be doing the face painting, then they moved over to the pet adoption area. 

David looked up with a smile when his girlfriend called to him. “Are you all done with the food pantry?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Mary Margaret answered. “I just have to make a list of items that are needed the most, then I can get the flyer for the next food drive sent out.”

While the couple was talking to each other, Emma wandered around to where Killian was gathering up the tools he and his friend had been using to build the temporary enclosure for the animals that would be up for adoption. 

“Swan!” he greeted, “How are you enjoying your day here?”

“It’s okay.”

Killian raised an eyebrow. This girl appeared to be very guarded, and he could tell she was holding her emotions in check. 

“I’m glad you got to work with Mary Margaret. She’s one of the best people I know.”

“Yeah, she’s pretty nice.” She plucked at the wire along the top of the pen. “When are the animals coming?”

“Around noon. We like to give them time to get settled in a little before everyone gets here.”

“What kinds of animals are they bringing?”

“Mostly puppies and kittens, though sometimes they have rabbits. They also bring some adult animals that were rescued and need a home. Around Easter time, they even bring chicks and ducklings, but they screen people carefully to make sure they have the proper place for those animals to live. Apartments and houses in the city generally don’t work very well, unless your name is Joey or Chandler!”

Emma didn’t smile at his joke, not understanding the reference to _Friends_. “Are they free, or do you have to pay for them?”

“There’s a small adoption fee. They reduce it from the usual eighty dollars to forty. Are you interested in adopting a pet?”

“No, I uh...m-my dad is allergic to animals. Would I be allowed to pet one though?” 

“Of course! They love attention! Maybe you can help me pick one out. Every time I help with this event, I want to adopt a pet myself, but I’ve never had the space for one until now. I recently bought a small house on the outskirts of the city that has a fenced-in backyard, so now I have plenty of room.”

“Do you want a dog or a cat? Or...a rabbit?”

“I’m definitely a dog person. Nothing against cats, but I’ve just always loved dogs. My brother and I had a Black Lab named Pirate when I was growing up. He was such a great dog. He lived to be fifteen years old.”

“Does your brother live around here?”

“No, he’s still in Ireland. He’s married and has a little boy. I came here to study after I graduated from secondary school, which I was able to do only because I earned a substantial scholarship. Dave was assigned to me as a roommate, and we’ve been best friends ever since. When he moved here to be close to M’s, I followed him. He hasn’t arrested me for stalking yet, so I guess he’s okay with it!” 

“Yeah, Mary Margaret told me he’s a cop. Does he work in this city?” she asked, appearing to be very intent on picking at a hangnail. 

“No, he’s got a job in a small town about twelve miles from here. He’s hoping to eventually get hired in a city with a better salary, but he’s happy starting out where he is right now.”

Just then, the topic of their conversation walked up with his arm slung over the shoulders of his girlfriend. “You guys ready for some lunch?”

Killian responded to his friend. “I certainly am! How about you, Swan?”

“Um, sure.” 

She reached for her backpack, but Killian got to it first. “I can carry it for you, if you like. Wow!” he said, as he picked it up. “It’s pretty heavy!”

“No!” she protested, and he noticed the slight panic on her face and in her voice. “I can get it! I’m used to carrying it around.” She grabbed the strap and started pulling it out of his hand. 

Killian released it. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just trying to help.”

He could see her cheeks fill with color. “It’s okay. I, uh, I’m sorry I snapped at you.”

Killian looked over at David and Mary Margaret, who had watched the exchange, and were growing increasingly puzzled about Emma’s protectiveness of her backpack. David met his friend’s eyes and shrugged. 

All of them moved inside to the community room where sack lunches and bottles of water were set out on long tables. After grabbing their food and drinks, they moved over to sit at a smaller round table. Emma hung back, looking around and biting her lip. 

“Aren’t you going to join us, Swan?” Killian asked, opening his brown paper sack.

“I...I don’t, I mean, are you sure you want me to? I don’t want to interrupt your time together.”

“You’re not interrupting, Emma! You’re among friends here!” Mary Margaret assured her. 

Tears popped into Emma’s eyes at her words, and she blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling down her cheeks. She rarely ever met people who were as warm, friendly and welcoming as the three who were sitting in front of her, smiling sincerely. 

She slipped into the vacant seat and eagerly opened her lunch bag, pulling out a cold meat sandwich, bag of chips, container of applesauce and a cookie. Opening the chip bag, she reached in and pulled out a couple and nibbled at them. When her stomach started protesting, she hurriedly shoved them into her mouth, then started to unwrap the sandwich. 

Mary Margaret watched Emma out of the corner of her eye and saw her taking large bites of her sandwich. She had noticed how hungry the young woman seemed to be when they’d eaten their snacks that morning. Now she was wolfing down her lunch like she was afraid someone was going to take it away from her. 

“Does anyone want my chips?” Mary Margaret asked, silently sending signals to David and Killian. “I’ve had enough to eat.”

Both men shook their heads. “No thank you, M’s. I’m full,” Killian replied. 

“How about you, Emma?” Mary Margaret held the bag out to her. 

“Are...are you sure?”

“Of course! If you don’t want them now, you can always save them for later.”

“Thank you,” Emma said, taking the offered bag. She started to tear it open, but hesitated and then leaned down to unzip her backpack. When she had it slightly open, she glanced over her shoulder at the other people at the table. Turning in her seat, she used her body to shield their view from her bag. 

The three looked at each other with raised eyebrows. 

When Emma turned back around, David quickly schooled his features and said, “I’m sure the animal shelter people will be here any time with our furry friends. We’d better get out there.”

After tossing their trash into the receptacles, Mary Margaret and David led the way outside with Killian and Emma following behind. 

“So, what do you say, Swan? Are you going to help me find my new best buddy today?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, a puppy. Um, sure, I guess.”

“Actually, I think I might be more interested in one of the adult dogs that needs a good home. I always have a soft spot for them, and most people go for puppies.”

“I can understand that,” Emma replied. She didn’t explain that she knew it first-hand from all the years she’d seen babies being adopted, while she lingered in the foster system for years.

The vans carrying the animals were arriving just as the four of them walked outside. The puppies and kittens were let out into a smaller section of the enclosure to explore, while the mature animals were kept in their crates until someone expressed an interest in meeting them. 

After all the animals were settled, Emma and Killian slowly walked past the kennels containing the five adult dogs the shelter had brought. Four of the dogs were eagerly jumping around, wagging their tails and yipping excitedly. When they passed the fifth crate, however, the dog within didn’t even stand up. He simply rolled his big, brown eyes to look at them while his head still rested on his paws. 

Emma knelt down in front of the cage and wrapped her fingers around the wire. Killian watched in fascination as the girl and the dog seemed to connect. It was as if they communicated with each other just by locking eyes. Slowly, the dog lifted its head and started thumping its tail. 

Killian turned to one of the shelter workers and asked, “Can you take this one out, please?”

When the door to the cage was opened, the dog stood up and cautiously walked out with its head lowered. 

“Hey, buddy,” Killian said quietly, reaching out to let the dog sniff his hand before he began to rub its furry, brown and white head. “What breed is he?” he asked, looking up at the worker. 

“He’s a spaniel mix, and appears to be about five years old, but we don’t know much more about him than that. He was dropped off several weeks ago in the enclosure outside the shelter while it was closed. He had already been neutered, and we gave him his shots.”

While the man was speaking, Emma was running her hands over the dog’s black and white body and speaking to him softly. He responded by raising his head and wagging his feathery tail. 

“He likes you, Swan,” Killian commented. 

“Yeah, I guess he does,” she answered, and glanced up at him with the first genuine smile he’d seen on her face. When she looked back down, the dog gave her a wet, sloppy kiss across the cheek. She giggled as she rubbed her face into his soft fur. 

Killian was taken aback at the sound. It amazed him how this dog had gotten her to open up in less than two minutes, when she’d been so withdrawn most of the day. 

“What do you think? Is he the one?” he asked, kneeling down beside Emma to once again pet the dog, who responded by licking Killian’s hand, then looking at him with his big, soulful eyes. “Ah, using your best puppy dog eyes to try to persuade me, I see!” 

The dog flopped down on his back and exposed his belly while waving his paws in the air. Emma laughed and watched Killian give him the belly rub for which he was clearly begging. “I think he’s answering that question for you!”

Killian’s laughter rang out, too. “You’re right about that!” He stood and addressed the shelter worker once more. “I’d like to adopt this guy.”

“Fantastic! I’ve never seen him act like that before, so I definitely think he’s chosen you. I’ll get the paperwork.”

While he went to the van, Killian said, “Now I have to come up with a name for him. What do you think of Buddy?”

“Nah, too common. He needs something more special. How about...Captain?”

“Uh-uh. Bandit?”

“No, I don’t think so. Maybe Patch?”

Killian shook his head. Both of them noticed that the dog was looking between the two of them as they tossed names back and forth. “What do you think, boy? What should your name be?”

They suggested a few more names, and then Emma said, “Zeke?”

At that, the dog perked up his ears and cocked his head.  
  


“Do you like that?” Killian asked. “Are you Zeke?” The dog started swishing his tail and panting, giving him a happy look. 

“I think we have a winner!” Killian announced. 

He filled out the necessary paperwork, paid the fee, and made arrangements with the shelter worker to pick Zeke up on Monday after he’d had a chance to get all of the supplies he would need. Emma petted and played with the dog the whole time Killian was taking care of that business. 

When he finished, he turned back and watched Emma frolicking on the ground with his new dog for a few more moments before he walked over to interrupt them. 

“Thanks for all your help, Swan.”

“Oh, uh, sure. No problem,” she said, composing her face from the happiness she’d exhibited for the last several minutes, back to a stoic expression. “I, um, I hope he’s a good dog for you.”

Killian reached down to offer her a hand up. She looked at it, then up at him, before she tentatively took it and allowed him to help her to her feet. Once she was standing, she released his hand immediately. 

“The two of you really hit it off,” he said. “Maybe you could stop over and see him from time to time.”

Emma jerked her head up and gave him a suspicious look. “You want me to come to your house?” she said, with a hard edge to her voice.

He was startled at her tone. “Only if you want to. I’m sure Zeke would like to see you again.”

She reached down and patted the dog on the head. “He wouldn’t miss me.” Then she turned and walked away. Killian wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard her say, “Nobody ever does.”

*********

The fundraising event was a whirlwind of activity all afternoon. The face painting booth was one of the most popular attractions, and the children who visited it were thrilled with the painted creations that were on their faces when they walked away. 

Mary Margaret flitted from booth to booth, making sure everyone had the supplies they needed, and that the guests were having fun. When she stopped by Emma’s table, she was amazed and pleased to see her chatting and laughing with the children, as she concentrated on brushing the paint across their cheeks. 

“You appear to be a natural at this, Emma,” Mary Margaret praised. “Don’t tell Eric I said this, but your painting skills are even better than his!”

“Thanks,” Emma mumbled as her face filled with color. 

When the three hours were over, all the volunteers began to clean up. Mary Margaret noticed that as Emma helped wash out the brushes, she kept shooting looks toward the book exchange booth, where the unclaimed books were being placed into boxes. 

“We kept you so busy you didn’t get a chance to get yourself any books,” she said. “Go on over before they get them all put away.”

Emma gave her a small smile, then hurried over to the booth. “Hey, um, can I still get some books?” she asked the two women who were packing them up.

“Of course!” the younger of the two answered. “Help yourself! You can look through the ones we’ve already put into boxes, too. We saw you working at the face painting booth earlier. You came up with some really cool designs! You’re new, aren’t you? I don’t remember seeing you around here before.”

“Anna, take a breath!” the other woman laughed. “Sorry about that,” she apologized, turning to Emma. “I’m Elsa, Anna’s sister, and the frequent victim of her verbal barrages.”

“I’m Emma,” she said, already moving toward the boxes of books. She tilted her head to read the titles and ran her fingers along the spines. “Um, how many books can I take?”

“As many as you want!” Anna answered. “Would you like a bag?”

Emma nodded, still distracted by the books. “Sure. Thanks.”

Anna began rummaging under the table to find a sturdy bag, while Elsa watched the young woman perusing the books. She seemed to be in her own little world. Her eyes took in the titles, and a smile bloomed on her face as she started stacking her choices on the table. 

Soon she had selected half-a-dozen books. She looked up and Anna held out the sack to her. 

“Oh, you found some good ones! I was hoping someone would take that book of Fairy Tales! The illustrations in it are so beautiful, and who doesn’t love a good Fairy Tale?” Anna chattered, as Emma bagged up the books. 

“Um, how often do you have these exchanges?” Emma asked. 

“They have these fundraising events twice a year, but we have book exchanges once a month,” Elsa answered. “If you’re going to be a regular volunteer, you can exchange them anytime you want. We keep the books here at the church.”

“Okay, cool. Thanks a lot!”

She took the bag and started to turn away. “It was nice to meet you, Emma!” Anna called. 

“Oh, uh, it was nice to meet you, as well. And you too, Elsa.”

“See you soon, I hope?” Elsa answered. 

“Yeah, I’ll probably be back.”

Emma walked back to the face painting booth where David was helping Mary Margaret pack up the supplies. 

“I got some,” Emma told them, holding up the bag. “They said I could take as many as I want.”

Mary Margaret smiled. “Oh, good! I knew Anna and Elsa would be happy to let you pick some out.”

“They seem really nice. Anna is, uh, pretty talkative, isn’t she?”

David chuckled. “That’s putting it mildly!” 

Emma helped carry all the supplies into the storage shed outside the church, even though she kept the bag of books clutched in her fist and her heavy pack strapped on her back. When everything was cleared away and the area was cleaned up, Emma stood uncomfortably among a small group of people. 

“Will you be here again next week, Swan?” Killian asked. 

“What’s happening next week?”

“We’ll be going to the homes of some elderly people to clean their houses, get groceries, do laundry - whatever they need,” Mary Margaret explained. 

Emma’s heart sank. She wasn’t sure she’d like being around more strangers, especially older people who tended to judge more harshly. 

“You can be in our group, if that’s okay with you, Emma,” Mary Margaret offered.

“Um, sure. That would be fine,” she said softly. She figured she could tolerate meeting new people if it meant getting another meal.

“If we’re lucky, we’ll be assigned to Marco,” David said. 

“Well, seeing as how I’m the one making the assignments, I think that will be pretty likely!” his girlfriend assured him. 

“In that case, may I be on your team, too?” Killian asked excitedly. 

“Of course! Marco would never forgive me if we showed up without you!”

“Uh, who’s Marco?” Emma asked. 

Killian turned to her with a wide smile. “He’s this old Italian gentleman. He used to be a woodworker before his arthritis got too bad. He still does a little whittling and painting, and makes little wooden puppets to give away to children. You’ll love him - everybody does!”

“That’s because _he_ loves everyone,” Mary Margaret said. “He’s one of the kindest people I’ve ever met.”

Emma scuffed her toe into a clump of grass. She highly doubted that the old man would love _her_ , but at least she’d be working with people that she’d met already. 

“Well, I’m gonna take off,” Killian said. “I have to get home and figure out everything that I’ll need to buy tomorrow when I go to the pet store. I can hardly wait to pick Zeke up on Monday!”

“Yeah, I have to get going, too,” David said. “I’ve got a hot date tonight!”

“Oi, Mate!” Will Scarlett threw in. “Better keep your mouth shut about that date! M’s is standing right here!”

Mary Margaret reached over and slapped him on the shoulder. “Will, you’re terrible!” she laughed. 

Killian was chuckling as he turned to Emma. “Do you need a ride home, Swan?”

“No, I like to walk, thanks,” she answered quickly. 

“Okay, well, I guess we’ll see you next week then. It was great meeting you!” 

“Yes, it certainly was!” Mary Margaret agreed, pulling Emma into a hug. She let go almost immediately when she felt Emma stiffen, and once again her heart went out to this young woman who seemed so withdrawn and cautious.

The group of friends said their goodbyes and drifted off in different directions. Emma slowly started down the sidewalk, pausing to look back toward where David was helping Mary Margaret up into the cab of his truck. After she was settled, the dark-haired woman caught sight of Emma watching, smiled warmly and waved. Emma tentatively raised her hand in return, then turned and shuffled away. 

*********


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma finds ways to survive on the streets, makes an admission to Mary Margaret, and goes with her new friends to help Marco.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind reception that you've given this story so far! It means so much to me, along with my beta Mary and my second reader, Saj.

*********

Emma pulled her sweatshirt over her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs. Her hood was tied tightly under her chin and her hands were up inside her sleeves, but she still shivered in the damp night air. 

She had read one of the books she’d gotten from the book exchange until her eyes watered from fatigue, and had now been trying to get some sleep for hours, but she knew it was no use. She longed for the warmth of the little yellow car that Neal had stolen for them. It wasn’t as cozy as sleeping in a bed, but it was better than leaning against a brick wall in an alley like she was doing now. 

Suddenly, her eyes picked up movement outside one of the doors of the motel across the parking lot from her. A man was loading his bag into the trunk of a car. Emma struggled to her feet and crept closer to the building as she watched him re-enter the room. She waited impatiently until he came back out clutching a laptop case, which he tossed onto the passenger seat before starting the car, backing it out of the parking space, and driving away. 

Quickly, Emma pulled a plastic card from an outside pocket of her backpack and jogged to the door of the vacated room. She jiggled the card between the door and the jamb until she heard it click. She was glad there were still some motels that hadn’t switched over to key cards since those locks were far more difficult to trip. 

She carefully cracked the door open, and was relieved to find the room empty. Checking the clock, she was happy to see the red numerals displaying 4:48, especially since the information sticker on the back of the door stated checkout time was eleven o’clock. She reached around the outside of the door and hung the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the handle, then locked the deadbolt and slid the chain into place.

After using the bathroom, Emma gratefully slid between the sheets and the thick comforter on the queen-sized bed. She remembered to set the alarm on the clock for ten AM, before she sighed and closed her eyes, quickly falling into a deep sleep. 

*********

When the alarm went off, Emma groaned and stretched, then dragged herself out of bed and into the bathroom. She stood under the spray of the hot shower for as long as she dared, and spent a few extra minutes using the conditioner supplied by the hotel after washing her hair. 

Her long, blond hair was a source of pride, and was the one possession that nobody could take from her. One of her worst memories from childhood was when she was about nine years old, and an awful foster mother had haphazardly chopped her hair very short because she didn’t want the extra bother of taking care of it. Emma had cried for days, and had endured several spankings for being too vain. When it had finally grown out again, Emma wouldn’t let anyone else touch it. She washed and brushed it herself, and learned how to braid so that she wouldn’t need help taking care of it. 

After putting on her one remaining set of clean clothes and drying her hair, she washed her soiled clothes in the bathtub, wrung them out, and wrapped them in a towel. Then she went to the motel room door, opened it slightly and peeked outside. The cleaning cart was two doors down and no one was around. She dashed over to it and grabbed handfuls of shampoo, soap and conditioner. Stuffing them into her sweatshirt pouch, she then took two washcloths and a hand towel. 

Her next stop was a laundromat. She’d learned from experience that Sunday mornings were a good time for people to get caught up with their laundry from the week. Sure enough, when she entered, she saw that every machine was in use. 

She sat down to observe the other patrons, and eventually settled on watching a middle-aged woman who seemed a bit frazzled. The woman was on and off her phone several times, in between transferring laundry from washing machines to the dryers set into the wall. Emma moved closer as the woman put a load in the dryer, and when she turned to rummage in her large handbag for a roll of coins, Emma walked by and casually tossed her clothes into the dryer without the woman noticing. 

The woman inserted coins, closed the dryer door, and started the machine, then set a timer on her phone and left the building. Emma got as comfortable as she could in a hard plastic chair, and patiently waited, knowing that she’d have to be quick to remove her clothes as soon as the cycle ended. 

The moment the drum stopped spinning, Emma swiftly opened the door and sorted through the load to find her own clothes, being careful to count the socks and pairs of underwear. She noticed that her jeans and sweatshirt were still damp, but she couldn’t take a chance of leaving them in for another cycle. 

On the way out the door, she breathed a sigh of relief as she passed the woman who had unknowingly dried Emma’s clothes. Emma had been caught using someone else’s dryer a couple of times in the past, and they hadn’t been pleasant experiences. 

Luckily, it was a fairly warm, breezy day, so she took her few possessions and found a bench in a nearby park. After draping her jeans and hoodie over the back of it, she unzipped the front pouch on her backpack to retrieve the Pop Tarts that she’d taken from the snack table the day before. She decided to only eat one and save the second one in the package for another day. 

She sat in the park for a couple of hours, then carefully rolled her clothes and stuffed them into her backpack. She knew that even though it was a nice day, the temperatures would dip that night, and she needed to find better shelter than what she had the previous night, prior to entering the motel. She’d been lucky to find a room to use for a few hours, but a couple of years of living on the streets told her the chances of it happening for a second night in a row were slim.

Emma wandered to the area where several highways crossed each other. She had often slept under the overpasses, even though she never liked all the noise from the traffic, and some of the other people who sought shelter there frightened her. She arrived early enough in the day to stake out a fairly secure place which was partially hidden behind one of the concrete barriers. 

As the afternoon wore on, she read one of her books and watched other homeless people gathering for the evening. Emma tried to make herself as small as possible in her little space, and was mostly successful in not drawing attention to herself. 

When the sun started going down, Emma’s stomach began protesting about the lack of food in it. She pulled out the bag of potato chips and wolfed them down, then reached for a can of peaches that she’d taken from one of the donation boxes. She started to peel back the lid, then stopped when Mary Margaret’s words echoed in her head. _“There’s no reason why I shouldn’t trust you, is there?”_ Emma didn’t want to give her a reason _not_ to trust her. _She’ll never know_ , Emma told herself. Mary Margaret didn’t know how many jars there were to begin with, so how could she miss one? 

Then something else she’d told Emma crossed her mind, _“You’re among friends here.”_ They really _had_ made her feel welcome, and that was something she rarely felt. If they found out she had stolen from the food pantry, they wouldn’t trust her, and she wouldn’t be able to help at the church again. Worse yet, they might call the police and she would be sent back to jail. She was sure David would have some connections in the local police department. 

Emma sighed and returned the can to her bag. She’d just have to make do with the remaining Pop Tart for tonight, and visit some of the restaurants where she was usually offered some leftover scraps of food for the rest of the week. The peaches and other food that she’d taken would stay in her bag until next Saturday, when she would sneak them back to the food pantry. 

With her decision made, Emma nibbled at the pastry, making it last as long as possible, then hunched down against the cold concrete and tried to get some sleep. 

*********

Emma got to the church early the following week, intending to return the stolen food items before anyone else arrived. She went to the door that led to the basement, and was surprised and pleased to find it unlocked, but when she pulled it open, she was startled to come face-to-face with Mary Margaret.

“Emma! I’m so glad to see you! You’re here extra early, aren’t you? Were you looking for me?”

Emma’s heart thundered in her chest. She didn’t know how to explain why she was going down to the storage room. Suddenly she heard herself blurting out, “No, I was just returning some food I stole last week.”

She expected Mary Margaret to get angry or at least look disappointed. Instead, the other woman asked, “Did you need the food? Is that why you took it?”

Emma studied her tattered shoes. “Um, yeah. I, uh, I mean, _my family_...we kind of ran out this month.”

Mary Margaret put her hands on Emma’s shoulders. “Tell me about your family,” she said gently. 

Emma glanced up at her then dropped her eyes again. “They, um, my mom is, uh…”

“Emma, tell me the truth,” Mary Margaret coaxed. 

Emma swallowed thickly. “I...I don’t have a family,” she whispered. 

A heavy silence followed. Finally, Emma raised her eyes to see Mary Margaret looking back at her with a kind, but concerned, expression on her face. 

“Do you know why we have this food pantry?” Emma shook her head. “It’s for anybody who needs it. You are welcome to take whatever you want.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.” Mary Margaret paused for a moment. “May I ask you something else?”

“Um, okay.”

“Where do you live?”

Emma’s face flushed bright red. “I…” Her voice faltered.

Mary Margaret reached for her hand. “Are you homeless, Emma?” 

Emma wiped at her eyes with the cuff of her sweatshirt, then slowly nodded her head. 

“Would you be willing to let us help you?”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re our _friend_ , and because we have the resources to do it.”

“What kind of resources?”

“Our friend Belle runs a shelter for homeless and displaced people. It’s just a couple of blocks from here. I can give her a call to see if she has any openings right now.”

“What if...um...what if she doesn’t?”

“Then we’ll try plan B, whatever that is. But Emma,” Mary Margaret touched the younger woman’s chin to encourage her to look up, “You WILL have a place to stay when you leave here today. I _promise_ you that.”

Emma tried, and failed, to hold back a sob, and Mary Margaret gathered her into a hug. At first, she remained stiff and unyielding, but the longer Mary Margaret held her, the more she relaxed until she finally wrapped her arms around her new friend’s waist and laid her head on her shoulder in obvious relief.

Several long moments passed until Mary Margaret gave Emma a final squeeze and stepped back. “First things first - have you had breakfast?”

“N-no.”

“Then let’s get you fed. We’ve got about twenty minutes until people start to show up. I’ll see if David will mix up some of his famous pancakes.”

“That sounds great!”

The pair walked to the front of the church where they found David loading cleaning supplies into the back of his pickup truck. 

“Look who I found, Sweetheart,” Mary Margaret said. 

David turned around. “Hey, Emma! It’s good to see you again!”

“Thanks. You, too.”

“We were hoping you would make some pancakes for us.”

“Did I just hear someone mention pancakes?” a familiar voice asked. Emma turned to see Killian Jones approaching. 

“Yes, you did,” Mary Margaret smiled. “Emma and I were asking David to make some before everyone else gets here.”

“How can you refuse a request from two lovely ladies, Dave?”

Emma dropped her head so he wouldn’t see the blush that was warming her cheeks.

“You know I would never do that, Jones. I was just about to start on them. Maybe you and Emma can finish loading the truck.”

“We can do that, can’t we, Swan? After all, we’ll get paid with pancakes.”

“Uh, sure.”

David and Mary Margaret went into the building, while Killian led Emma to the storage shed. 

“How’s Zeke?” Emma asked.

“He’s doing pretty good. Still settling in and getting adjusted, but he gets more comfortable every day. I can’t figure out why someone would just drop him at the shelter, because he’s such a sweet boy. Anyway, I keep telling him that he’s found his forever home now. I don’t know if he understands or not, but I’m hoping he figures it out soon so he can relax and enjoy it.”

“That’s really nice of you to adopt him, especially since nobody else wanted him.”

“Well, I’ve been wanting a dog for a while now, so this is a win for both of us. The offer to stop by and see him still stands, you know.”

“Oh, um, I...maybe someday.”

Killian let the subject drop because he could tell she was uncomfortable. They finished carrying the supplies to the truck, then headed inside to wash their hands. 

David had two plates of pancakes ready, and was pouring more batter onto the griddle. Mary Margaret motioned for them to sit down and brought the plates over to them. The silverware, napkins and syrup were already on the table. Killian handed the bottle of syrup to Emma and watched her pour a generous amount over the stack of pancakes. 

“I’m going to get myself a cup of coffee. Would you like one, Swan?”

“No thanks, I don’t drink coffee.”

“Orange juice, milk or hot chocolate, then?” he offered.

“Hot chocolate would be great, thanks.”

By the time Killian returned to the table with two steaming cups, Emma had already eaten almost half of the pancakes on her plate. His eyebrows raised when he saw her shovel another large bite of food into her mouth. 

He set the cup of hot chocolate in front of her and she looked up at him. Noticing his expression, she ducked her head as her cheeks reddened.

He cleared his throat. “They’re really good, aren’t they? Don’t tell Dave I said this, because his head is already big enough, but he makes the best pancakes I’ve ever had.”

“Yeah, they’re great,” she replied, still looking down at the table. 

“Hey, there’s no reason to be embarrassed,” he told her, sitting down in the seat across from her. “You can eat as many as you want. We’ll have a busy day today, so you better get a good breakfast.”

Emma nodded as she stabbed into another forkful of the fluffy pancake. Just then, Mary Margaret and David joined them, each carrying a plate heaped with more, hot off the griddle. 

“Would you like another helping, Emma? David made plenty.”

“Only if you’re sure you have enough.”

“Looks like he made enough for a Romanian powerlifting team,” Killian commented around his own mouthful of food. 

“I figured Scarlett would be arriving soon, and you know he has a bottomless pit for a stomach,” David explained. 

The four of them ate in silence for several minutes before the door opened, and Will Scarlett walked in. 

“Do I smell pancakes?” he asked, going straight to the kitchen to get himself a plate and silverware. 

“Called it!” David chuckled. 

Emma listened to the banter between the three guys while she finished her first stack of cakes, and helped herself to more. She couldn’t remember the last time she started the day with a belly full of good, warm food. 

Within the next half hour, several more people arrived to load supplies into their vehicles, and Mary Margaret handed out team assignments, along with addresses of the elderly people they’d be helping that day. 

After Mary Margaret and Emma settled into the back seat of David’s club cab pickup truck, Killian and David climbed into the front and they started off down the street. Emma listened to them trading stories about Marco Geppetto, and was beginning to look forward to meeting the older man. 

Soon David pulled up in front of a small white house with green shutters. The four of them piled out of the truck and began unloading the supplies. 

“Ah, my friends!” Emma heard a voice declare. She turned around and saw a slightly stooped man with a closely cropped white beard, and a warm, welcoming smile. 

“Good morning, Marco!” Mary Margaret greeted. “I hope you’ve saved some work for us to do!”

“Oh, there is always work to be done! Don’t worry about that!” He slowly made his way down the front steps, leaning on a cane for support. David and Killian moved forward to shake his hand, then Mary Margaret gave him a hug. 

“This is Emma Swan,” she introduced, stepping aside so he could greet the other woman. 

Marco stretched his hand out toward Emma. She hesitated for a moment, then briefly shook it. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Emma Swan,” he said kindly.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.”

“It looks like your bushes could use another trim, Marco,” David observed. “Do you have the key to your storage shed so we can get the hedge trimmers and wheelbarrow?” 

“Yes, I’ll get it for you.”

“I’ll come with you, Marco,” Killian said, falling into step beside the homeowner. The two disappeared into the house. 

Mary Margaret, Emma and David finished getting the supplies out of the bed of the truck and carried them toward the front porch. 

As the guys got ready to work in the yard, Marco led Mary Margaret and Emma into the house. 

“What would you like for us to do first?” Mary Margaret asked pleasantly. 

“Sit down and have a cup of tea with me,” he answered with a kind smile. “I want to take advantage of having some company for a while.”

Mary Margaret wrapped her arm around the man’s upper arm and squeezed. “We’d be happy to have some tea with you first, wouldn’t we, Emma?” she said, turning to look at her friend. 

Emma’s eyes darted back and forth between the two people standing in front of her, before she answered, “That sounds really nice, thanks.”

The old man moved haltingly around the kitchen, setting an old-fashioned tea kettle on the stove and setting out three teacups on matching saucers. This was obviously a bit of a ritual, because Mary Margaret was comfortable in getting out tea bags and a sugar bowl from one of the cupboards. 

After the water was heated, Emma carefully poured some into each of the cups. While the tea bags were steeping, the three of them sat down and chatted for a while. Emma soon understood why everyone talked so fondly of Marco. The old man was polite, kind, and listened attentively with a cheerful smile on his face. He made Emma feel welcome as he included her in the conversation. 

When the tea was ready, Marco took the tea bags to throw them away, and came back to the table with some sugar cookies on a plate. 

“Help yourself! My neighbor brought these over to me, and I cannot eat all of them by myself.”

“Thank you, Marco!” Mary Margaret said. “Do you mind if I take a couple of them out to the guys?”

“Of course not! Please do!”

After she left the room, Marco sat back down and turned his gentle brown eyes toward Emma. “She’s a sweet girl, that one.” 

“Yeah. I just met her last week, but she’s been really nice to me.”

“Did you just start helping out at the church?”

“This is only my second week.” 

“Well, I hope you become a regular. I’m a pretty good judge of character, and I can tell that you’re a fine young lady.”

“Thank you,” Emma said softly, then picked up her tea to take a drink, hiding her reddening face behind the teacup. “How long have you known Mary Margaret?”

“Since she was born,” Marco said, then chuckled at the look on Emma’s face. “I’ve gone to church with her parents for over thirty years. She started bringing that fine young man of hers around nearly a year ago, I think. Killian is usually with them when they come here to help me. He’s a good boy. Always works hard when he’s here and has such a good heart. Have you gotten to know him, as well?”

“Yeah, a little bit. I helped him pick out the dog that he just adopted.”

“Did he finally get himself a pet? He’s talked to me about wanting one several times. What breed did he get?”

Just then, Mary Margaret came back into the house. “David and Killian said to tell you thank you.”

Marco chuckled. “I’m happy to have someone to share them with!”

Emma drained the rest of her tea and took her cup and saucer to the sink. She noticed several more dishes in it and turned the water on, letting it run until it was hot, then squeezing in some of the dish soap sitting by the sink. As it began to fill, she started washing the silverware. 

Mary Margaret and Marco watched her as they finished drinking their own cups of tea. 

“She seems like a good worker,” Marco observed, knowing that the running water would probably keep Emma from hearing his comment. 

“She really is. Last week she organized the entire food pantry almost single-handedly.”

Marco raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Speaking of the food pantry, I have a couple of things I want to send with you.”

“Marco, I’ve told you before that you don’t need to do that. You’re on a fixed income and…”

“Nonsense! I am blessed to have more than enough for myself, and I want to share with those who aren’t so fortunate.”

“You are so sweet!” Mary Margaret said, getting up and giving him another hug. She collected his teacup and saucer along with her own, and carried them over to where Emma was washing the dishes. After placing the cups on the counter beside the sink, Mary Margaret located a towel and began to dry and put away the clean dishes. 

“What would you like for us to do now, Marco?” Mary Margaret asked once that task was finished. 

“I washed my bedding this morning, and I need help putting it back on. I also need my bathroom cleaned and the floors swept and washed. My old knees and shoulders just won’t allow me to do those things myself. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course we don’t! That’s why we’re here!” Mary Margaret replied.

She and Emma set to work on the list of chores, while Marco went outside to check the progress the guys were making with the bushes. 

Emma was vacuuming the living room carpet and didn’t hear the men come back into the house. David and Mary Margaret volunteered to go get Marco’s groceries, and the elderly man invited Killian to join him at the table for another cookie and some coffee. 

“Emma seems like a sweet girl,” Marco observed. 

“Aye, from what I can tell. She’s rather...private.”

“I can tell she’s a bit distrustful. I’m not sure why, but I get the feeling that, even though she’s quite young, she’s had more than her share of hardship.”

Killian nodded and took another sip of coffee. 

“She tells me that you have a new pet.”

“I do! She helped me pick him out. His name is Zeke.” He pulled out his phone and brought up his photo gallery. After selecting an image, he turned the phone around to show his friend. “This is a picture of him.”

Marco studied the photo. “Beautiful animal! He has such gentle eyes.”

Killian locked his phone and shoved it into his back pocket. “I think he’s still trying to feel me out to see if I’m really going to keep him. I’ll have to be patient with him for a while, but I know in time, he’ll be a great dog for me. He and Emma really seemed to bond with each other the day I adopted him.”

Marco raised his coffee cup to his mouth, but before he took a drink, he said, “Perhaps they sense a kindred spirit in one another.”

Killian raised his eyebrows. “I hadn’t thought of that, but I believe you may be right.”

They heard the vacuum turn off, and soon Emma walked into the kitchen. She took a look at the two men and said teasingly, “What gives, Jones? I’m in here working my a-” she shot a look at Marco, “um, my butt off, and you’re sitting in here eating cookies?” 

Killian was taken aback. Was Emma Swan really starting to banter with him? “Hey! I’ll have you know that I earned this cookie by trimming about twenty bushes!”

Emma put her hands on her hips. “I think that might be a little bit of an exaggeration, since I only counted about six of them!”

Marco chuckled. “You earned another cookie, too, my girl. Come, sit down and join us.”

She slid into a seat and reached for the plate as Marco asked, “Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Um, do you have any hot chocolate? I don’t drink coffee.”

“I don’t unfortunately. Would you like another cup of tea? The water should still be hot. Or perhaps some milk?”

“Milk would be fine, thanks.”

He started struggling to get to his feet, and Killian held his hand up to stop him. “Stay put, Marco. I’ll get it.”

“All I have to do is mop, and all the cleaning will be done,” Emma reported.

“I can do that, Swan,” Killian said, setting a glass of milk in front of her. 

“That’s not necessary. I can do it.”

He heard the slight bite in her words and decided not to push the issue. He was enjoying getting to see her lighten up a little bit, and didn’t want to spoil it. 

“What else do you need done, Marco?”

“Perhaps you could help me clean up in my workshop?” Marco had a small woodworking shop behind his house. Even though he wasn’t able to make the large wooden projects that he made when he was younger and more agile, he still puttered around when he felt up to it.

“Of course! What have you been working on?”

“Just some carved wooden dolls. I’m planning to donate them to the church for their Christmas bazaar.”

“Could I see one of them?” Emma asked eagerly. Then she seemed to shrink back. “I mean, if you don’t mind.” 

“Not at all! You can come out to the workshop with us, if you’d like.”

“Swan, why don’t you help Marco in his shop? I’ve been lucky enough to see his handiwork before. I’ll take care of washing the floors.”

Emma bit her lip in thought, then said, “Okay, if you really don’t mind.”

“I truly don’t.”

Marco smiled broadly. “Let’s be on our way, my girl!”

Emma couldn’t help smiling too. She was becoming very fond of the kind old man.

As they stepped into the shop, Emma inhaled deeply. “It smells so good in here!”

“Oh, yes! Nothing smells better than fresh-cut wood!” He seemed to gain energy as he shuffled across the floor toward the workbench along the wall. Emma followed slowly as her eyes drifted around the space, taking in all the tools, pieces of wood, and piles of shavings. 

As she arrived at Marco’s side, he turned and handed her a small, wooden doll about five inches long. The carving was crude, but it was easily recognizable as a little girl with long hair. She ran her fingers over the curves and angles that were sanded smooth, admiring the workmanship. 

“This is lovely! Some little girl will be very happy to get this for Christmas! I know I would have been, when I was little.” She drew in a quick breath and glanced up at him.

“Did you like to play with dolls when you were young?” he asked curiously. 

“I, um, I didn’t really have any,” she mumbled.

Marco studied her. “Every girl should have a doll. I want you to have this one.”

Her eyes shot up. “Oh, no! I can’t take this! I’m too old for dolls now, and besides, you’re giving it to the church!”

He took her hand and put the little doll into her palm. “I made this doll and I can give it to whomever I choose. Please accept my gift - it would make me very happy if you did.” He gently closed her fingers around it and patted her hand. 

Emma stood motionless for several moments, and he could tell that she was having an internal struggle about her decision. Finally, she looked up at him with misty eyes. “Th-thank you, sir,” she said, while caressing the little wooden figure. 

“Call me Marco. All my friends do.”

*********

By the time Mary Margaret and David returned from the store, all the other chores were completed. Killian and Emma helped carry in the few sacks of groceries and put them away, then the quartet of helpers bid Marco goodbye. Emma fidgeted a bit as she watched him hug each person in turn. When he got to her, he grasped her shoulders with his calloused hands and gave her a kind and genuine smile. 

“I’m very glad that I got to meet you today, Emma Swan. I hope I’ll see you again very soon.” Then he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her warmly, patting her on the back a few times. 

Emma blinked back tears as she returned his hug with no hesitation. He’d made her feel welcome and accepted, just as the other three people with her had the previous week. 

“Is it, um, would it be okay if I stop by and see you sometime? I mean, in between coming here to help you?” 

Marco released her from the hug and took both of her hands in his. “I would like that very much. Please come by anytime - anytime at all!”

“I can’t...I don’t have a phone to call you first.”

“That doesn’t matter! I’m home almost all the time, except on Sunday mornings when I go to church. Perhaps I’ll see you there as well?”

“Um, yeah, maybe.” Emma hadn’t considered going, but she thought it might be nice to be able to see her new friends more than once a week. 

“Very good, very good!” He turned to address the whole group. “Thank you so much for all of your help today! You have made this old man very happy!”

They gave him one more wave, then piled into the truck. Emma didn’t say much on the way back to the church, and Mary Margaret noticed that she kept running her fingers over the little wooden doll, with a gentle smile on her face. 

*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave kudos and/or comments if you like the story so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary: Mary Margaret helps Emma find a place to live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to my incredibly helpful beta Mary & to Saj, who not only checks the consistency in the chapters, but is also the best at encouraging me!

*********

  


Once the group got back to the church from Marco’s, they returned all the cleaning supplies to the shed, then Mary Margaret turned to Emma and said, “Come with me to the church office.”

  


Emma followed closely behind her new friend, wondering what was going on. When they entered the office, a very pretty, petite woman with auburn hair and a friendly smile greeted them. 

  


“Hello, Mary Margaret!” she said, giving her friend a quick hug. “And you must be Emma. I’m Belle French, the manager for the shelter down the street.” 

  


“Oh, yeah. Mary Margaret told me she was going to call you. It’s nice to meet you.”

  


“Likewise. Mary Margaret mentioned that you need a place to stay for a while. We have a couple of openings, if you’re interested in staying with us.”

  


For the second time that day, Emma blinked rapidly to keep the tears from falling. “Th-that’s very kind of you. Could...could I stay there tonight?”

  


“Absolutely! I already prepared a cot for you, and you’re welcome to stay as long as you need to. The only thing I ask is that you pitch in and help with chores around the shelter.”

  


“That’s no problem. I like to help.”

  


Mary Margaret took her hand, and was pleased to see that Emma didn’t flinch or pull away. “You’ve got a good worker here, Belle. Emma has only been volunteering for two Saturdays, but she’s already impressed all of us with her work ethic.”

  


Emma gave her a grateful look while her cheeks filled with color. 

  


“Well, if you’re ready, you can come with me,” Belle said. “Do you have your belongings with you?”

  


Mary Margaret pulled some keys from her pocket. “We’ll have to get them from the storage room in the basement.” Emma had reluctantly left her backpack at the church after Mary Margaret convinced her that it would probably get in the way in Marco’s small house. 

  


Belle waited outside while Mary Margaret unlocked the door for Emma and herself to descend to the store room. Emma hefted her backpack onto her shoulders and picked up the sack of books, then turned to find her friend holding out a package of cookies. 

  


“You’ll have enough to eat at the shelter, but you can have these as a special treat.”

  


Emma stepped forward and embraced the other woman. “Thank you, Mary Margaret. Thank you for  _ everything _ .”

  


*********

  


The shelter was an old, abandoned warehouse that had been divided into three large areas - one for men, one for women, and one for families. In the middle were two segregated bathrooms and a family bathroom, all of which included two shower stalls. At one end was a large kitchen that opened out into a dining area with a dozen long tables, each one surrounded by wooden benches. 

  


Belle led Emma through the women’s area, which had several six-foot-high folding screens to add some privacy. When she stopped, she motioned to a cot that had a trunk at the end of it. 

  


“This one is yours, Emma.” She dug in her pocket and pulled out a key. “You can keep your things in this trunk, and please keep it locked. Most of the people who stay here have been in survival mode much of their lives, and they tend to, um, help themselves to other people’s property if it’s left laying out.”

  


Emma nodded her understanding. She was one of those people, after all. She wrapped her fingers around the cool metal of the key, and looked appreciatively at the clean sheets and blanket on the narrow cot. 

  


Just then, a girl who looked to be about Emma’s age came around the corner of the divider. She had long, dark brown hair with red streaks in it, and huge hazel eyes. 

  


“Do I have a new roomie?” she asked, with a wide smile on her face. “I was hoping I’d have some company soon!”

  


“Emma, this is Ruby Lucas,” Belle introduced. “Ruby, this is Emma Swan.”

  


Ruby held out a hand and Emma reached forward to shake it. “Nice to meet you, Emma. I hope you don’t snore!” She sat down on the cot that was on the opposite side of the area created by the folding screens. 

  


“I’ll try not to, but I can’t make any promises,” Emma replied. 

  


“Ooh, sarcasm! I think I’m gonna like you!” Ruby grinned. 

  


“I’ll leave the two of you to get acquainted. We eat at six o’clock, and I’ve got to go supervise the dinner preparations,” Belle informed Emma. “I won’t ask you to help with the preparation or clean-up tonight, since it’s your first night, but we’ll need your help with breakfast tomorrow.” 

  


“She’s a task-master!” Ruby remarked, with a teasing laugh. 

  


Emma chuckled before she told Belle, “No problem. What time?”

  


“Breakfast is at seven o’clock. Do you want to help with prep or clean-up?”

  


“Please say clean-up!” Ruby encouraged. “I don’t think I can share a space with an early riser!”

  


“Clean-up then, I guess.”

  


“Perfect! See you at dinner!” Belle threw over her shoulder on her way out. 

  


Emma sat down on her cot, hugging her backpack to her chest. “How, um, how long have you been here?” she asked Ruby. 

  


“A couple of weeks. My sorry excuse for parents kicked me out when I was sixteen, so I’ve been living on the streets for over two years. I hitched a ride to this town a few weeks ago, and was begging for money on the corner right outside here when Belle found me. How about you?”

  


“Oh, um, I’ve been helping out at a church down the street. One of the volunteers there found out I was homeless and called Belle to see if there was a spot for me here.” To her relief, Ruby didn’t ask any further questions. 

  


“Well, it’s nice to have some company. I shared this space with someone else when I first got here, but she moved in with her boyfriend, I think. I didn’t have a chance to get to know her very well. She wasn’t exactly the friendly type.”

  


Emma nodded. “Are you eighteen-years-old then?”

  


“Almost nineteen, in February. And you are…?” 

  


“I turned nineteen in October. Either the twenty-second or the twenty-third.” 

  


“You don’t know your birthdate?”

  


“Not exactly. I was abandoned on the sidewalk outside a fire station and nobody was sure if I was three-days-old or four when they found me.”

  


Ruby gave a low whistle. “Wow! That’s a tough way to start out life! I thought it was bad living with two alcoholic parents, but at least I know what day I was born.”

  


Emma rose from the cot and walked around to the end to unlock the trunk. She placed her backpack and the bag of books inside and started to close the lid, but unzipped the bag and pulled out the package of Oreos Mary Margaret had given her instead. 

  


“Would you like one?” she offered, holding the cookies out towards Ruby. 

  


“Oh, now I KNOW I like you!” the brunette answered, helping herself to one. “I’ve got a helluva sweet tooth!”

  


*********

  


That evening, Emma received a warm meal and had the chance to get to know some of the other people who were staying at the shelter. She enjoyed spending time with one family in particular - Ashley and Thomas, along with their three-year-old daughter Alexandra. The little girl took to Emma immediately, playing with her new friend’s hair and chatting a mile a minute. By the end of the meal, she was sitting on Emma’s lap while the teen carried on a conversation with her parents.

  


After dinner, Emma went back to the corner where her cot was located, and dug out one of her books to read. A couple of hours later, Ruby came in and changed into some pajamas. 

  


“Are you going to sleep soon?” she asked. 

  


Emma rubbed her eyes and snapped the book shut. “Yeah, I guess it is about that time.” She rummaged in her backpack and pulled out a toothbrush and toothpaste, then headed toward the bathroom with Ruby. 

  


As they settled onto their cots for the night, Ruby looked over at the other girl curiously. “Are you sleeping in your jeans?”

  


“I, uh, I don’t have anything else to wear.”

  


Ruby hopped up and grabbed Emma’s sleeve. “Come on. We can take care of that.” She led Emma through the maze of curtained-off areas to a room that Emma hadn’t noticed before, and knocked on the door. A man wearing a security guard uniform answered almost immediately. 

  


“What can I do for you?” he asked.

  


“Hey, Graham. Emma here needs some pajamas. Can you let us into the donation room, please?” Ruby said sweetly. 

  


“Sure, just let me grab my keys. I was about to start patrolling.”

  


Soon Emma found herself in front of an overhead garage door. The guard turned the key in the lock on the handle, then raised the door. When he flicked on the light, Emma saw that the large room was filled with boxes, bags and loose items of clothing. Her jaw must have dropped at the sight, because Ruby laughed. 

  


“That was exactly my reaction when Belle brought me in here,” she said. “This is where we sort the donations people drop off. Anyone who stays here can take what they need. Pajamas should be over in this corner.” 

  


Emma followed her friend until they were in front of a long table with piles of sleepwear on it. “I’d say these would be about your size,” Ruby said, indicating a stack. 

  


Emma began looking through the garments until she pulled out a pair of pink and white checkered flannel pajamas. She held them up to herself to gauge the size, then smiled at Ruby.    
“These are good. You’re sure it’s okay if I borrow them?”

  


Graham spoke up, “They’re yours to keep, Emma. Do you need anything else?”

  


“Oh, um, not right now. Thanks for letting us in.”

  


“No problem. If you’re finished, I’ll lock this back up and start my rounds.”

  


Emma and Ruby returned to their cubicle and Emma slipped into her new sleepwear. “They’re so soft!” she remarked, rubbing her hands up and down her arms. 

  


“They were made for you! Those should be way more comfortable to sleep in than jeans. If you need any more clothes, tell Belle tomorrow. She’ll make sure you’re taken care of.”

  


Emma sank down onto her cot and pulled the blanket up to her chin. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt so cozy. 

  


“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Ruby asked, before giving a huge yawn. “We’re warm, we have food in our bellies, and we’re in a safe place.”

  


“Yeah,” Emma mumbled, as sleep started pulling her under. “It does.”

  


*********

  


Emma did attend church the next morning, after helping clean up after breakfast. She arrived just before the service started, and slipped into a seat beside Marco. Killian was sitting on the other side of the old man, and leaned forward to smile at her. Emma smiled back, then looked around to see Mary Margaret and David sitting a few rows ahead of them on the opposite side. 

  


She enjoyed the service, especially the music. Marco seemed to like it too, as he kept time by tapping his fingers on his knees. Every once in a while, she glanced over to see him smiling warmly at her. 

  


Afterwards, Mary Margaret and David spotted her and came hurrying over. 

  


“Emma! We’re so glad to see you here!” Mary Margaret exclaimed, giving her a friendly hug. “Are you staying for the social hour?”

  


“I don’t know what that is, but sure!” 

  


David chuckled. “Once a month, we have a carry-in meal after church. Today just happens to be that day!”

  


“Am I supposed to bring something?” Emma worried. 

  


“It’s not necessary. We always have more than enough,” Killian answered. “Are you coming, Marco?”

  


“Of course! I look forward to these Sundays when I can spend time with my friends.”

  


Emma dropped back to walk beside Mary Margaret. “Thank you so much for finding a place for me to stay, Mary Margaret.”

  


“You’re welcome. Were you comfortable there last night?”

  


“It was great! I had a good meal and a bed to sleep in with a blanket and pillow. I felt safe because there was a security guard patrolling all night, and I even got a pair of pajamas from the donation center. That’s where these khakis and sweater came from. Oh, and this coat, too!” she added, indicating the red woolen coat that was draped over her arm.

  


Mary Margaret forced a smile as her throat constricted at the thought that Emma was so excited about things she herself had every day, and took for granted. “I’m very glad to hear it, Emma.”

  


“I share an area with a girl almost my age. Her name is Ruby and she’s really funny and nice! Oh, and I met a family at dinner last night - Ashley and Thomas and their little girl, Alexandra. She’s adorable, and she loved playing with my hair.” 

  


Mary Margaret was amazed at the transformation of the girl walking beside her. During most of the two days that she’d worked with her, she had been so quiet, reserved, and apprehensive. 

  


“Ruby and I helped clean up after breakfast this morning. Tomorrow I’m going to help sort donations, and Ruby and I are planning to go job hunting in the afternoon. She thinks she has a lead on a waitressing job at a little diner a few blocks from here.”

  


They were entering the community room where groups of people were milling about. Emma and Mary Margaret sought out David and Killian.

  


“Where’s Marco?” Emma asked, craning her neck to look around. 

  


“He’s sitting with some of his buddies,” Killian explained. “Would you like to help me get a plate of food ready for him?”

  


“Sure!”

  


The two of them worked their way across the room to the long serving tables. Killian grabbed three plates, turned to hand one off to Emma, then allowed her to step in front of him. Emma loaded her own plate, while dishing food for Marco onto one that Killian held. He also filled one for himself, and soon all three held a generous amount of food. 

  


Emma searched the room until she spotted the bald head of their friend off to her right. She led the way as Killian followed close behind, carefully balancing the two plates in his hands. 

  


The table at which Marco sat was full of other people, all of whom looked to be around his age. After delivering the food to their very grateful friend, the couple sought out an empty table. Mary Margaret and David soon joined them. 

  


A week ago, she could only wish for people to talk to, a full stomach and a place to stay, but now she was sitting at a table with friends and eating warm food for the second day in a row with a bed waiting for her back at the shelter. For the first time in as far back as Emma could remember, she actually felt hopeful. 

  


*********

  


The next morning, Emma and Ruby helped in the donation room for more than two hours. Belle’s assistant, Tink, was there to oversee the half dozen people who were sorting clothes, shoes, toys, books, and various other items that generous people had donated. 

  


Emma was curious about the assistant’s unusual name, so Ruby explained that her last name was Bell, and she’d had the nickname of Tinker, after the fairy in Peter Pan, since she was very little. No one seemed to know her real name. Emma was amazed that her new friend seemed to know everything about the people who worked at the shelter after living there such a short time.

  


When Emma got to the bottom of one of the tubs of clothing she had been emptying, she found a large, sturdy, canvas duffle bag. She unzipped it and found that it had several pockets inside, and was at least twice as big as her battered backpack. She bit her lip as she slowly placed the gray bag on a table, running her hand across it longingly. 

  


“Whatcha got there, Em?” Ruby asked, using the moniker she had begun calling her friend. 

  


“Um...nothing.”

  


“If you need it, just ask Tink.”

  


“No, it’s okay. Someone donated it for the needy.”

  


“In case you haven’t noticed, we  _ are _ the needy!” Ruby laughed. “Go ahead and ask for it. I saw the shape your old backpack is in, and it’s not gonna last much longer.”

  


Emma pondered another few seconds before she picked up the bag and carried it over to where Tink was stacking men’s jeans. She looked up and smiled. “Do you need something? Emma, right?”

  


“Yeah, that’s right. Um, I was just wondering, would it be okay if I...I mean, this bag was in a donation tub, and, well the backpack I have is…”

  


“Are you asking if you can have that duffle?”

  


“Uh, yeah. Sorry, I just didn’t know if…”

  


“Of course you can, Emma.” 

  


“Really?”

  


“These things are donated to go to people who are in need of them, and will put them to good use. It sounds to me like you meet both of those criteria, so the bag is yours.”

  


A wide smile stretched across the young woman’s face. “Thank you so much!”

  


“No problem. If you need anything else at all, please don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

  


“Okay. Thanks again, Tink!” 

  


Emma rejoined Ruby and tucked the bag under the table. Her friend smiled and remarked, “Told ya so!” 

  


Emma just rolled her eyes and grabbed a pile of shirts to fold. 

  


*********

  


That afternoon, Emma and Ruby walked four blocks to a small diner called Granny’s. When they entered, the gray-haired woman at the counter eyed them warily over the top of her wire-rimmed glasses. 

  


“Take a seat anywhere, girls. I’ll be right with ya.”

  


“We’re not here to eat,” Ruby said. “We came to apply for jobs. I heard that you were looking to hire.” 

  


“I am. Two of my waitresses decided to leave town together and left me high and dry. I’m all for love and romance and all, but when it interferes with my business, I’m none too happy! My temps aren’t working out too well, either. I’m lucky if they even decide to show up! How old are you girls?”

  


“Emma’s nineteen and I will be too in a few months.” 

  


“Do you live hereabouts?”

  


“We’re staying at the shelter down the street.” 

  


“So you’re transients? I’m not interested in hiring somebody who’s gonna up and leave…”

  


“We’re not planning to leave town anytime soon. We’re just staying there until we get enough money to find a place to live. We both like it here, don’t we, Emma?”

  


Emma nodded her agreement. “We’re good workers, Mrs., um…”

  


“Hunter, but everybody just calls me Granny. Well, sit down there and I’ll fetch the applications for you to fill out. This might not be a big, ritzy place, but I still need your basic information before you can work for me.”

  


“So we’re hired?” Ruby asked excitedly. 

  


“I didn’t say that, but I’m kinda in a pinch, now aren’t I?”

  


Emma and Ruby smiled at each other, then took a seat on the barstools and set to work answering the questions once Granny had brought the papers to them. When they came to the line asking for their Social Security numbers, the two friends looked at each other. “Uh, Granny?” Ruby called out. 

  


The proprietor came out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. “Somethin’ wrong?”

  


“We, um, we don’t have Social Security numbers, or if we do, we have no idea what they are,” Ruby told her.

  


“Well, you’ll need them for tax purposes.” She watched their faces fall. “Tell ya what - you get the paperwork for a Social Security number filed, and while you’re waitin’ for it to be processed, I’ll pay ya under the table.”

  


The two exchanged looks again. “Where would we get that paperwork?” Emma asked timidly. 

  


“That director down at the shelter - Belle French? She’ll be able to help y’all with that. Just ask her.”

  


“Cool, thanks!” Ruby smiled. “So we wouldn’t have to pay taxes on anything we make until our cards come in?”

  


“Now, that’ll just be our little secret. And don’t be thinkin’ that ya can get by with not tellin’ me when they arrive so you can keep gettin’ paid that way, either! I won’t put up with lyin’ from any of my employees, ya got that?”

  


“Yes, ma’am,” they answered in unison. 

  


While they finished filling in the rest of their applications, Granny brought them each a piece of pie and a glass of milk. 

  


“I reckon if you’re gonna work here, ya better sample the cuisine.”

  


Twenty minutes later, the two friends left the restaurant with waitress uniforms folded over their arms, and a work schedule in their hands. 

  


*********

  


Emma fell into a routine of sorts over the next three weeks. She was still able to volunteer on Saturdays at the church, since Granny was training her new waitresses on weekdays while the diner wasn’t as busy. When she wasn’t working, she helped in the donation center and with other chores around the shelter. 

  


She and Ruby were quickly becoming inseparable, and her friendship with Mary Margaret, David and Killian was getting stronger every week. 

  


She had stopped over at Marco’s once and spent a few hours with the old man. She helped him in his workshop where he taught her how to use a few of his tools, and then happily shared his dinner with her. 

  


One evening, Ruby entered their shared space and held a section of newspaper out to Emma. 

  


“What’s this?” she asked, reaching to take it. 

  


“Isn’t your douchebag ex’s name Neal Cassidy?”

  


“Yeah, why?”

  


Ruby tapped her bright red fingernail against the paper. “Says here he was sentenced to one to three years for car theft.” 

  


Emma flipped the folded paper over and saw the court report. Quickly she scanned the article and saw Neal’s name followed by his imposed sentence. 

  


“Huh. Well, serves him right,” she said nonchalantly. Even though she was acting indifferent in front of her friend, her heart had started racing at the sound of his name. She hated that she still cared about him even after what he had tried to do to her. 

  


“At least you won’t have to worry about running into him for a while.”

  


“I guess not.”

  


Ruby studied her friend and could tell she was upset, despite her casual tone. “Hey, I think I can talk Graham into letting us break into the freezer for ice cream. What d’ya say?”

  


Emma tore her eyes away from the paper. “Oh, uh, no thanks. I’m not really hungry.”

  


Ruby shrugged. “Suit yourself, but you’re gonna miss out on a chance to take notes on my flirting ability,” she grinned. 

  


“I think I have several pages of those already! I’m just going to get ready for bed. Don’t forget we’re working the breakfast shift tomorrow.”

  


“I won’t. I think Granny would shoot us with that crossbow she’s always threatening us with if we’re late!”

  


“Do you really think she owns a crossbow?”

  


“I wouldn’t doubt it, and I’m not going to give her a reason to prove that she does!”

  


Emma laughed and grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste off the top of her trunk. 

  


*********

  


Belle and her staff tried to make Thanksgiving at the shelter as enjoyable as possible by having a traditional turkey dinner. Emma helped serve the meal then spent the rest of the afternoon talking and laughing with Ruby, Ashley and Thomas, and reading stories to Alexandra while the little girl brushed and brushed Emma’s long hair. 

  


She was eager to get to the church the following Saturday to tell her friends how much fun she had on Thursday. When she arrived, she was surprised that neither Mary Margaret’s little black car or David’s truck were parked in their usual spots. 

  


“Good morning, Swan!” 

  


Emma looked to her right and saw Killian approaching with a wide smile on his face. 

  


“Hey. Where’s M’s and David?” 

  


“Am I not good enough company for you?”

  


“Not really!” she giggled. 

  


Killian put his hand over his heart and staggered. “Swan, you wound me!” This produced a full-blown laugh from the blonde, and he grinned in response. “They went to Dave’s parents to celebrate Thanksgiving with them this weekend. Didn’t they tell you that?”

  


“I guess maybe they did. I must’ve forgotten. Why didn’t you go with them?”

  


“What, spend over four hours in a car with the lovebirds? No, thank you!”

  


Emma frowned. “You spent Thanksgiving by yourself?”

  


“Well, I face-timed my brother and his family early in the afternoon. They don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, of course, but since they’re five hours ahead of us, it’s always hard to find a time to do it during the week when Declan’s not in bed already. It worked out perfectly with me having the day off, so I called after I knew Liam and Rose were home from work and finished with dinner. Then later I picked up food and took it over to Marco’s and we spent the rest of the afternoon together. I guess I should have asked you to come along.”

  


“No, that’s okay. I had a fun day at the shelter. So your nephew’s name is Declan, huh? How old is he?”

  


“Just turned two, and I think he’s living up to the saying ‘terrible twos’. He’s a spitfire, that’s for sure!”

  


“Have you ever seen him in person?”

  


“Aye, a few months after he was born. I plan to go back next March when I have a week of vacation.”

  


They had entered the community room as they talked, and saw that several people were already collecting boxes to take to the basement storage room. Today’s assignment was to pack boxes of food to take to the elderly people they usually helped every month. 

  


“I hope Mary Margaret assigned us to Marco today,” Emma commented, heading over to grab one of the printed lists. “Yes! He’s at the top of my list!” she beamed, looking at Killian. 

  


He chuckled. “You’re pretty fond of him aren’t you?” At her affirmative nod, he added, “He definitely feels the same about you, by the way.” He watched the color fill her cheeks and couldn’t help thinking how pretty she was. 

  


“Are we working together?” he asked, moving behind her to peek over her shoulder at the list. Emma stiffened a little at his closeness, and he noticed. He misinterpreted her tenseness as discomfort and took a step back to try to reassure her. There were still times when he forgot how apprehensive she had been when she first arrived, but then moments like this happened to remind him that, even though she’d come a long way, she still had a lifetime of trust issues to overcome. 

  


Emma took a shaky breath. Having him so close  _ was _ giving her feelings, but unbeknownst to him, they weren’t because she was wary of him. The last couple of times she was with him, she had felt butterflies in her stomach whenever he was near. She hated that he affected her that way and tried to ignore it, but there was almost certainly an attraction to him. 

  


“Uh, yeah. The two of us are partners again today. Looks like we have four packages of food to deliver.”

  


“I’ll grab the boxes,” Killian said, quickly heading over to the pile of cardboard boxes. 

  


As her eyes followed him, Emma released a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.  _ “Jeez Louise, Emma, get it together. He’s your friend. He’d never be interested in you,” _ she whispered to herself.

  


The large space in the basement was crowded with teams of people already filling their care packages. Besides listing the names of the senior citizens, Mary Margaret had provided their food preferences and allergies. 

  


Killian and Emma squeezed into the area and began gathering the suggested cans and boxes of food. 

  


“What is hominy?” Emma asked, reading off the sheet she held in her hand. 

  


“I think it’s some kind of corn,” Killian answered, scanning the shelves for that particular can. He and Emma both saw it and reached for it. When their hands landed on it at the same time, she quickly pulled hers back. 

  


He glanced at her and saw that her cheeks had reddened considerably. He sighed as he placed the can in the box, wondering if she would ever feel completely comfortable around him. 

  


Soon the boxes were filled and loaded into Killian’s car. “Shall we leave Marco for last so we can visit with him for a while?” he asked, turning the key in the ignition. 

  


“Sounds good to me! I haven’t seen him for a couple of weeks and I miss him.”

  


The recipients of the boxes were extremely grateful, and Killian could see how much their gratitude meant to Emma. He supposed she felt a connection to them, since she was accepting aid herself. He was glad that she was getting the help she needed, even though he didn’t yet know her backstory. He just knew that no one deserved to be homeless and hungry. 

  


When they reached their elderly friend’s house, they saw him pulling the curtains aside and peeking out the window. Then the front door was thrown open, and Marco emerged. 

  


“Emma! Killian! How good to see you both! Come in, come in!” 

  


“Go ahead, Swan. I’ll grab the box.”

  


Emma climbed the steps and embraced the elderly man. “Hi Marco! I’ve missed you!”

  


“And I you, my dear girl! Killian and I shared a nice meal on Thanksgiving Day, but he said you were spending the day at the shelter, and Mary Margaret and David were with her family. Where are they today?” he asked, turning to enter his house. 

  


“They went to David’s parents’ house.”

  


“Ah, they’re so blessed to have family nearby.” 

  


“Yeah, they are,” Emma said softly. 

  


Killian set the box on the kitchen table. “Do you want us to put these away for you, Marco?” 

  


“Yes, if you don’t mind. I’ll heat the water for tea while you’re doing that. You  _ will  _ stay and visit with an old man for a bit, won’t you?”

  


“Of course we will! We saved your delivery for last just so we could do that,” Killian explained, pulling out a container of instant oatmeal and handing it to Emma, who placed it on a shelf in the pantry. 

  


The three friends spent the next hour chatting and laughing together. Emma realized she was growing to love the kind man, and wished that she had a grandfather like him. 

  


When they were getting ready to leave, Marco said, “I hope I’ll see you again before Christmas. If not, will you be at the Christmas Eve service at church?”

  


Killian saw the puzzled look on Emma’s face. “The church has a service at midnight. It’s very special and is always really beautiful. There’s a children’s service earlier in the evening that’s fun too. You should try to make it to one of them.”

  


“Which one do you go to?” Emma asked, addressing both men at once. 

  


“Midnight is too late for me, and I enjoy seeing the little ones and hearing them sing,” Marco answered. 

  


“I went to the midnight one last year, which has been the only Christmas I’ve spent in this town so far. Dave and Mary Margaret go to that one with her parents. I thought I might go to the earlier one this year,” Killian stated. 

  


“I’ll have to see what my schedule is at the diner. I’m sure Granny will want us to work that day since the other waitresses all have families.”

  


“She probably won’t keep it open very late on Christmas Eve,” Killian pointed out. 

  


Emma hugged Marco. “If I don’t get to come to the children’s service, I’ll be sure to stop in another day.”

  


“Very good! Thank you again for coming to see me today.” He gave her one more squeeze, then a kiss on the cheek. 

  


Killian shook his friend’s hand and grasped his elbow affectionately. “You know we enjoy it as much as you do! Take care and we’ll see you Sunday.”

  


*********

  


The following Friday, when Emma and Ruby returned to the shelter after their shift at Granny’s, they both dropped down onto their cots without even changing out of their waitressing uniforms. 

  


“Ugh! I am SO exhausted!” Emma complained. “I’ve felt like I could hardly get one foot in front of the other every single day this week.”

  


“I know what you mean,” her friend commiserated. “And to top it off, these cramps are kicking my ass this month!” 

  


Emma’s blood froze in her veins. Her period! When was the last time she had one? Quickly she did some calculating...and her heart sank. 

  


*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those of you who are reading, commenting and leaving kudos for this story. I hope you have some idea of how much that means to me!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma gets some life-changing news; she and Killian begin opening up to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Trigger warning for this chapter* - mention of abortion
> 
> I'm happy that so many of you are enjoying this story so far! A lot of the credit goes to my beta Mary, whose edit suggestions make the chapters so much more pleasant to read! Also to Saj, for all her encouragement.

*********

When Mary Margaret arrived at the church on Saturday, a week after Thanksgiving, she found Emma sitting on the steps outside the church office, holding her head in her hands. 

“Good morning, Emma!” she greeted. The young woman looked up and Mary Margaret frowned. There were tear tracks down her friend’s cheeks and her chin quivered, signaling more to come. “Oh, Sweetie! What’s wrong?”

Emma took a breath and tried to speak, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. 

“Come with me,” Mary Margaret said, offering her a hand up. “Let’s talk in the office.”

Mary Margaret unlocked the door and Emma followed her into the room. Instead of sitting down, she paced back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself. Mary Margaret hadn’t seen her in this protective position since the second week they had worked together. She waited patiently, allowing the blonde time to gather her thoughts. 

At last, Emma stopped in front of Mary Margaret with her head down. “I...I think I might be...p-pregnant,” she whispered, choking on the last word. 

“Oh. Um, well, you’re not sure though?” Mary Margaret stammered, trying not to sound shocked. She didn’t want to upset the teen even more. 

Emma shook her head, then shrugged her shoulders. “I haven’t...taken a test...or anything, but...I’m pretty sure.” 

Mary Margaret put her hands on her friend’s shoulders. “We keep pregnancy tests on hand, along with other pharmaceutical needs. Do you want to take one right now?”

Emma finally lifted her tear-filled eyes to look at the other woman. “I guess so. What am I going to do if I am?” she cried, and Mary Margaret pulled her into a firm hug. 

“We will cross that bridge if we come to it.” 

“W-we?” Emma stuttered.

“Yes, WE,” Mary Margaret answered firmly. “Whatever you’re facing, I’m here for you.”

“You’re not...you’re not mad at me?” Emma asked so quietly that Mary Margaret barely heard her. 

“No, of course not,” she reassured her, rubbing her hands up and down her back. She knew her acceptance and lack of judgment was very important to the vulnerable young woman right now. 

Emma clung to Mary Margaret until her sobs subsided, then she released her grip and took a step backwards. “I’m ready,” she hiccupped. 

Mary Margaret led her into the adjoining bathroom and pulled a couple of tissues out of a box to hand to Emma. As she wiped her eyes and blew her nose, Mary Margaret used a key to open a cupboard above the toilet, pushed aside a bottle of ibuprofen, and grabbed a box with a pregnancy test in it. Turning to hand it to Emma, she said, “I’ll be right outside the door. You can let me in after you’re done taking it and I’ll wait with you, or you can come out after you’ve gotten the results. Either way, I’ll be _right here_.”

“Thank you,” Emma whispered thickly. 

After a few minutes, the bathroom door opened and Emma motioned for her friend to join her. 

“Do I need to set a timer?” Mary Margaret asked. 

“Yes, please. I, um, I don’t have one.” 

Mary Margaret pulled out her phone. “Three minutes?” Emma read the instructions on the box and nodded. 

She started pacing again while Mary Margaret leaned back against the door. When the timer went off, Emma took a step toward where the test rested on the sink, then paused. “Can you...would you look at it? I don’t...I don’t think I can.”

Mary Margaret took Emma’s hand and squeezed it, before plucking the test off the counter. She took a deep breath and said, “How about if we look at it together?” Emma gave a tentative nod, moving to stand beside her friend, who put an arm around her waist. Then she held the plastic stick up in front of them, and heard Emma gasp as they both saw the word ‘pregnant’. 

Emma sank down onto the floor and pulled her legs up to her chest. Crossing her arms over her knees, she buried her head on them and started to cry again. Mary Margaret knelt down beside her and wrapped her arms around her. They remained that way for several minutes until Emma exclaimed, “What am I gonna do? I just...I finally feel like my life is starting to turn around, and now this!”

“It’s not the end of the world, Emma. If you want, we can help you figure out what to do next.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“That’s what friends do, and I know I speak for David and Killian, too.” 

“Oh no - David and Killian! They’re going to think I’m such a slut!” she sobbed.

“They will NOT think that, Emma!” Mary Margaret said vehemently. “ _You_ can’t think like that!” 

“Why not? I’m homeless, I’ve got no family, and now I’m pregnant. I’m such a loser!” 

“Stop that right now! I won’t listen to you run yourself down! You’re a good person who has had a lot of tough breaks, but you have friends now, and we will help you through this.” Mary Margaret watched Emma wipe her face with the back of her hand. Her heart went out to the young woman as her mind raced through options for her. 

She rose from the floor and fetched the box of tissues. Handing it to Emma, she said quietly, “I guess the first question I should ask is, do you think you’ll have the baby, or…”

“I won’t have an abortion! I could never live with myself knowing that I killed my baby!”

“Alright then, I think we should talk to Belle. She has access to resources that you’ll need, regardless of whether you keep the baby, or put it up for adoption.”

Emma sat silently as the minutes ticked by. Finally, she looked at her friend. “I’ve never told you why I’m homeless, have I?” Mary Margaret shook her head. “I was abandoned when I was a newborn. A couple took me in, fostered me, and was beginning the adoption process, when they found out they were having a baby of their own. Because of that, they put me back into the system. It was just before my third birthday.” 

Mary Margaret’s mouth was set in a firm line. She couldn’t imagine anyone being so callous to a child whom they claimed to love. 

“After that, no one wanted to adopt me. If a kid has been abandoned twice, something must be wrong with her, right? So I was in foster placements and group homes for the next fourteen years.”

“When I was almost seventeen, I was placed with foster parents who were truly the worst. I mean, I had some pretty bad ones, along with some who were really nice, but this couple was horrible. The father was very handsy and tried to abuse me, and the mother was just oblivious to what he was doing. After a couple of days, I knew I couldn’t stay there, even though I had nowhere to go and hardly any possessions. No one ever came looking for me, so I guess I wasn’t worth the effort.”

“Anyway, I met Neal a little over a year later and he...he led me to believe that he loved me. One day he showed up with a car he said was his friend’s, and he took my virginity in the back seat of it. We lived in it for about a month, until the police caught me sitting in it alone, and I was arrested. Turns out the car was stolen. When they found Neal several days later, he claimed _I_ was the one who stole it and called me a whore and a homeless tramp.” 

Emma’s voice faltered on the last few words, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “Fortunately, witnesses came forward to testify they had seen Neal hot-wire it, and the arresting officer realized I had no idea it was stolen property, so they released me. He suggested that I come here to get some help, and two days later I showed up and met all of you.”

“Obviously, this baby’s father isn’t going to be a factor in my decision. I don’t want anything to do with him - not after the things he said and how he tried to pin the theft on me. I just...I don’t want this baby to feel unwanted, the way I’ve always felt my whole life. And...I guess I’d like to have something that’s all mine, you know what I mean? I realize that’s not practical, and I don’t have anything to offer it, but…”

“That’s not true, Emma!” Mary Margaret cut in. “You’ve got a lot of _love_ to offer! I’ve seen it every week you’ve been here. I saw it when you did the face painting with the kids, and with the pets they brought for adoption, and when we helped Marco. I’m not trying to sway your decision, because giving it up for adoption would be a loving thing to do, too, but if you keep the baby, I _know_ you’ll be a good mother.”

She could tell that Emma was contemplating what she was saying. She waited half a minute, then continued, “You may not have money right now, but you have a job, and there are programs out there that can help you financially. Belle will be able to give you information about those.”

Emma slowly pushed herself to her feet. “I need some time to think about everything. It’s not gonna be an easy decision, and I want it to be the _right_ choice for the baby.”

“Of course. I hope you know that I’ll support whatever you decide.” 

“Thank you, M’s. You...you don’t know how much that means to me.” 

“Do you want me to come with you to talk to Belle?”

“It’s okay. I’m already keeping you from getting your work done.”

“The work will get done without me. _You’re_ more important, and if you want me to come with you, that’s exactly what I’m going to do!”

For the first time all morning, Emma smiled. “That would be great, thanks.” She walked over to the sink and picked up the pregnancy test from where Mary Margaret had set it down. After studying it for a few seconds, she rinsed it off, then slipped it into the pocket of her coat. 

*********

When the two women exited the building, they saw David and Killian leaning up against David’s truck. 

“There you are!” David exclaimed, striding over to Mary Margaret and kissing her on the cheek. “We were wondering where you were since your car was here. Good morning, Emma! What have you girls been up to?”

“Oh, uh, we were...just talking,” Mary Margaret said. 

“Swan, are you alright?” Killian asked, noticing her blotchy red face. 

“Yeah, I-I’m fine. Mary Margaret was helping me to, uh…” she took a shaky breath and glanced over at her friend.

Mary Margaret cleared her throat. “I’m going to go with Emma to take care of a few things. You’ll have to manage without us today.” David looked confused, but nodded his understanding. 

As Emma started to walk past Killian, she felt him gently take hold of the sleeve of her coat. She came to a stop, but couldn’t force herself to look up at him. 

“Are you sure you’re okay, Emma?” she heard him ask quietly, the concern in his voice evident.

Unable to move words past the lump in her throat, she nodded her head, then quickly stepped away from him. He looked at Mary Margaret who gave him a weak smile before hurrying after her friend. 

*********

Belle assured Emma that she was welcome to stay at the shelter for as long as she needed; even after the baby was born, if she decided to keep it. “We’ll just move you to the family section,” she told her. “We’ve had newborns here before.”

She gave Emma pamphlets for resources she would need, including an OBGYN and a Lamaze instructor. “Do you have any idea how far along you might be? Most doctors won’t see you until you’re at least six weeks.”

Emma looked thoughtful. “Probably right around six weeks,” she finally answered. “My last period was during the week after we started living in the car, which was two months ago.”

“Then I’d say you can give the doctor a call anytime to set up an appointment,” Belle said. 

“I, uh, would I be able to use the phone in the office?”

“We have prepaid phones that we sometimes give to people who live here when it’s necessary for them to have one. Wait right here and I’ll get you one.”

Emma fidgeted nervously after Belle left the room, and Mary Margaret reached over to squeeze her hand. “Everything is going to be alright, Emma.”

Emma kept her head down and Mary Margaret saw a tear drip onto the sleeve of her sweatshirt. 

After Belle brought the phone back and briefly showed Emma how to use it, the younger woman looked at her with worried eyes. “How am I going to pay for doctor’s visits and the hospital bills?”

“I’ll help you apply for Medicaid. That should take care of most of it,” Belle assured her. “Don’t worry, Emma, we’ll help you out any way we can. You’re not the first resident of the shelter who’s gone through this.”

“Thank you,” Emma whispered. Then she thought of something else. “I hope Granny will let me keep working.”

“I’m sure she will,” Belle said confidently. “She may seem gruff, but she definitely has a soft spot. She would never fire you just because you’re pregnant. In fact, I don’t believe she could legally do that.”

“I think that’s true,” Mary Margaret agreed. “You should be able to work for several more months before you become too uncomfortable.”

“That’s good. At least I’ll be able to save a little money before the baby gets here,” Emma said. She sat lost in thought for a few long moments, and then stood up. “Okay, I’ll call the doctor on Monday, but for now we might as well head back to the church to see if there’s any work left to be done.” 

“Are you sure, Emma? You don’t have to work today if you don’t feel up to it,” Mary Margaret commented. 

“I feel fine. Besides, I’d rather stay busy than sit around here thinking too much.”

“Then I guess we’d better get going,” Mary Margaret said with a smile. She was relieved that Emma seemed to be starting to accept what was happening to her. 

They both thanked Belle once again and pulled their coats on, before setting off down the sidewalk towards the church. 

“Are you gonna tell David?” Emma asked quietly.

“No, it’s not my news to share,” Mary Margaret replied. 

After they crossed the next intersection, Emma said, “I’m going to tell him, and Killian, too.”

“Are you sure? You don’t have to do that right away, you know.”

“I know, but I don’t want you to have to keep this secret from your boyfriend, and I’d rather come right out and tell them, than to have them find out when I’m months along. I feel like I should be honest with my friends. Hopefully, they’ll still _be_ my friends after they know I’m pregnant.”

“Of course they will, Emma. I’m sure it will come as a surprise to them, just as it did to me, but it’s not going to change our friendship with you. You’ll need us more than ever now, and we’ll be here for you.”

Emma felt a shiver pass through her, and she knew it wasn’t entirely due to the cold air. She had never had anyone in her life who was as kind to her as the friends she’d made in the last few weeks, and she was glad she would have their support in the coming months. 

They entered the church sanctuary where the volunteers were decorating for Christmas. Emma saw Killian on a ladder, while David handed up a wreath for him to hang. She looked over at Mary Margaret, who gave her a reassuring smile. They walked to the outside aisle and over to where the two men were. 

“There’s the lovely ladies!” David exclaimed, smiling broadly. “Did you get everything taken care of?”

“For now,” Mary Margaret replied cryptically. “The church looks beautiful! Is there anything left for us to do?”

“I don’t think anyone has set up the Nativity scene yet. Maybe you and Emma could take care of that.”

“Oh good! That’s my favorite thing to do! Come on, Emma!” The two women moved to the front of the sanctuary where there was a rough wooden stable sitting off to the side of the decorated Christmas tree. 

“Marco made this years ago. The figures were donated by a couple who brought them back from the Holy Land,” Mary Margaret explained, kneeling down and removing the lid of a large wooden box. She carefully lifted out a carved shepherd, and Emma looked at the figure, painted in soft pastel colors, which her friend held so lovingly in her hands. “Aren’t they beautiful?”

“Yes, they are,” she whispered, suddenly feeling a need to show special reverence. She knelt also and started to reach toward the box, then pulled her hand back.

“It’s okay, Emma, you can handle them. They’re old, but they’re not fragile.”

Emma hesitantly picked up another figure, a donkey, and turned to place it beside the stable. She and her friend worked in silence to set out all of the figures, until the only ones missing were Mary and Baby Jesus. Mary Margaret gently took them out of the box and held them for a few moments, gazing down at them with awe. Then she looked at Emma and offered the precious figures to her. 

“Would you like to put them into the crèche?” she asked softly. 

“You...you don’t mind?” 

“I grew up going to this church, and my mother and father would set this Nativity scene up every year. I still remember the first time they let me be the one to add Mary and Baby Jesus. I felt very special and humbled to be able to do it. I want you to experience that feeling.”

Emma’s lips quirked up into a small smile, and she held out her hands to accept the treasured Mother and Child. She looked down at the peaceful faces for several moments before finally placing them into the vacant places in the stable. She softly ran her finger over what was carved to look like a blanket covering the Baby, as her throat thickened with emotion. 

Mary Margaret sensed that Emma might be thinking about her own baby as she looked upon the figures she had just added to the manger scene. 

Finally, Emma looked up at her friend. “Thank you for letting me help you, Mary Margaret. It’s really beautiful.”

“Yes it is, and very meaningful. I’m glad you were able to help set it out.” She replaced the lid on the box and got to her feet. Emma reached out to straighten one of the Wise Men, then also stood up. 

When they made their way to the back of the church, they found that Killian and David were no longer inside.  
  


“They probably went to put the ladder away,” Mary Margaret commented. “Let’s go see.”

Emma hung back a little, and her friend noticed. Patting her on the shoulder, she said, “Emma, you don’t have to tell them. It can wait for another day if you’re uncomfortable.” 

“I doubt that I’ll ever be completely comfortable telling them. I’d just like to get it over with.”

They found the guys in the storage shed. Killian was hanging up the ladder while David slid a box of tools onto a shelf.

“Finished?” David asked, brushing his hands off on his jeans.

“Yes, we are, and I see you’re done hanging all the wreaths. Are you ready for some lunch?”

“Absolutely!” Killian answered for both of them. “How about you, Swan? Are you hungry?”

Emma glanced quickly at Mary Margaret before saying, “Yeah, let’s go.”

As the four of them sat at their usual table, Killian couldn’t help but notice that Emma was picking at her food, which was out of character for her. She usually ate every crumb and didn’t waste any time doing it. David and Mary Margaret were carrying the conversation, and didn’t seem to notice anything wrong. 

“What else needs to be done today?” Killian asked as they collected their trash to throw away. 

“The only thing left to do is a quick inventory of the new food donations for the pantry, and David and I can take care of that. Since the decorating is finished, everyone else is done for the day,” Mary Margaret explained. 

“Are you sure you don’t need any help with that?” Killian asked.

“It won’t take long, but thanks anyway! You two should go enjoy the rest of your afternoon!”

“Sounds good! I’ll see you tomorrow!” said Killian.

“Uh, please wait. Before you go, I wanted to tell you and David something,” Emma said softly. She looked around and saw that they were the only four people left in the community room. When her eyes settled back on Mary Margaret, her friend gave her an encouraging smile. 

“What’s that, Swan?”

“Mary Margaret was helping me this morning because I, um...I found out I’m pregnant.” 

A heavy silence fell between them. Finally, David spoke, “Is that good news?”

Mary Margaret raised her eyebrows at her boyfriend. He swallowed and dropped his eyes. 

Killian stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans and rocked back on his heels. Emma noticed that he wouldn’t look at her, and she felt tears springing to her eyes. 

Mary Margaret spoke up to break the uncomfortable silence. “Belle is helping Emma with the information she’ll need, such as a doctor and prenatal care, and I told her that we would all be here for her, as well.”

“Of course we will,” David agreed quickly. “Won’t we, Killian?”

Killian seemed to be distracted as he remained quiet for several seconds, and Emma chanced looking at his face again. She expected to see judgment or anger there, but instead she thought she saw sadness in his eyes. Finally, he shook off his silence to answer, “Aye, we will.” 

“Thank you,” Emma said as a sense of relief washed over her at having the news out in the open. “I, um, I guess I’ll be going. I have to work tomorrow morning, so I won’t be able to come to the church service.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. I love the services during Advent, especially with all the Christmas music,” Mary Margaret said. “If you need anything between now and next Saturday, you have my number in the phone Belle gave you.”

Emma nodded, and Mary Margaret pulled her into a warm hug. When she released her, David did the same. Emma turned toward Killian and saw that he was looking away from her, with his hands still tightly jammed in his pockets. 

She pulled her coat on and said, “I’ll see you Saturday then. Thanks…for everything.” She gave her friends a little wave and left the building. 

She was halfway down the block when she heard Killian call out, “Swan, wait!” She came to a halt, and turned around. He caught up with her and said, “I, uh, I wish you the best, Emma. You, and the baby... _and_ the father.”

Emma’s eyes snapped up at his words. “The father isn’t part of my life anymore.”

Killian looked at her intently. “I see. Well, I want you to know that I’ll help you any way I can. This may not be a planned pregnancy, but every baby is a miracle, if you ask me.”

Emma considered his words. “You’re right, and if it were under different circumstances, I’d probably be very happy about the news, but I just don’t know how I’m going to take care of it, _if_ I decide to keep it. I can barely take care of myself.”

“I won’t pretend to know everything about your life, but from what I can gather, I wouldn’t agree with that statement. You seem like a survivor to me.”

She smiled faintly. “I suppose that’s true. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t figured out how to survive, because the odds always seem to be stacked against me.” She sucked in a breath and looked away. Killian noticed that her cheeks had reddened.

“What are you doing the rest of the day?” he asked, hoping to change the course of the conversation, since she’d clearly become uncomfortable. 

“I didn’t figure we’d be finished at the church this early. I’ll probably just head back to the shelter and read or something, or maybe I’ll see if Ruby wants to throw in a load of laundry since we usually wash our clothes together. It’s nice that the shelter has its own machines and we don’t have to go to the laundromat.”

Killian studied the sidewalk for a moment, before he looked up and said, “I’m going to take Zeke to the dog park, if you’d like to come along. I haven’t had a chance to do that lately because I’ve been really busy at work.”

“Um, how far away is it?”

“A few blocks from my house, which is about a mile back the other direction.”

“Why do you drive to the church if you live so close?”

Killian chuckled. “I don’t always drive - just on Saturdays because sometimes M’s sends me off on an errand or two. I didn’t drive today, though.” 

Emma bit her lip as she pondered his offer. She had gotten to know him pretty well in the past month and felt comfortable around him, but they were always working when they were together. She wondered if it would be different going to his house and having a conversation with him that didn’t involve their volunteer work. 

Killian waited a few moments before he broke into her thoughts. “I just thought I’d offer now that our afternoon is free, and Zeke would be happy to see you.”

“I’d like to see him again, too.” She paused a few more seconds. “Okay, sure, I’ll come along. The fresh air will do me good.”

Killian smiled and turned on his heel to head back the other direction. “Excellent!”

As they fell into step together, she said, “I don’t think you’ve ever told me what you do for a living.”

“Haven’t I?” She shook her head. “I’m a civil engineer. Nothing too exciting.”

“That sounds interesting, actually. You must be really good at math, then.”

“Aye, that subject has always come pretty easily to me. I used to help Liam with it, even though he’s four years older than me. He got me through grammar lessons though, so it was a trade-off.”

“I was never that great at math. My favorite subject was art.”

“No wonder you were so good at the face painting station that first week. Your designs were very creative.” 

She blushed at the compliment. “Thanks. So did you get your math prowess from your mother or your father?”

“Well, my mum relied on me to help balance our household budget after my father abandoned us when I was ten, so I’d say it wasn’t from her. I can’t really say about Da though. It’s hard to remember if he was good at anything besides tipping the bottle.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up such an unpleasant memory.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s a fact of my life, and we were better off without him anyway.”

“Is your mother still in Ireland with your brother?”

“No, Mum died when I was fifteen. I feel like she worked herself to death trying to keep a roof over our heads and food in our bellies.”

“I guess we’re both sort of orphans then. I was abandoned as a newborn baby, and the foster parents who were going to adopt me gave me up, too.” 

“That’s a rough way to start life, Swan.”

She shrugged. “Yeah. That’s one reason why I’m considering keeping this baby.” She unconsciously rubbed her hand over her flat abdomen. “I wouldn’t want a child to go through what I went through.”

“I don’t blame you. I’m sure it’s not going to be an easy decision for you to make, though.” 

He came to a stop in front of a ranch-style house with gray siding and red brick on the exterior. “This is my house. Do you want to come in while I get Zeke, or would you rather wait out here?”

“I’ll wait here.”

“Okay. Be right back.”

While he was inside, Emma ran her eyes over the exterior of the house and the small yard in front of it. Knowing how meticulous Killian was whenever they worked together at the church, it didn’t surprise her to see that it was neat and well-maintained. 

Soon the front door opened and Zeke came bounding out, dragging Killian behind him. He caught sight of Emma and ran straight to her, wagging his tail madly. She knelt down and was nearly knocked over as the dog lunged at her, licking her face as she wrapped him in a big hug. Her laughter rang out as Zeke wriggled in delight, then pulled away to spin in happy circles. 

“I’d venture to say he missed you, Swan!” Killian chuckled, struggling to keep the canine from getting tangled in his own leash. “He’s never this happy to see _me_!”

“I guess I’m his favorite!” she giggled, trying to help calm the dog by stroking his head and neck. “I can’t believe he remembers me. It’s been over a month since I’ve seen him!”

“Dogs have good memories, especially for people they like. Have you ever seen those videos when soldiers arrive home from being deployed for months, and their dogs nearly tackle them because they’re so excited?”

Emma stood up and brushed off the knees of her jeans. “No, I haven’t, but I’d like to sometime. I’ll bet they’re fun to watch, and maybe a little emotional.” 

“Aye, they are. I’ll save one or two on my phone and show them to you next Saturday,” he promised. 

They set off down the sidewalk with Zeke leading the way, clearly sure of where they were going. He stopped to lift his leg several times as they passed the trees along the street. 

“I don’t even know how he has this much pee in him,” Killian complained, and Emma laughed. 

“He’s just marking his territory.”

“He doesn’t own the whole bloody street!” Emma laughed again, and Killian was glad he’d asked her to come along to the dog park. He knew she had been anxious about telling him and David about the baby, and he wanted to let her know that he didn’t think any differently of her. 

As they neared the park, Killian glanced over at Emma and saw that she was shivering a bit. He stopped and handed her the end of the leash, then pulled the scarf from underneath the collar of his peacoat. He wrapped it around her neck and secured it under her chin. 

She looked up at him from under her lashes and swallowed. It was such a simple gesture, but for him to notice she was chilly and offer his scarf was far more meaningful to her than he could probably understand. She wasn’t used to someone taking care of her, because very few people ever had. 

There were several other dogs and the people they owned at the dog park. Killian and Emma walked Zeke along the path and let him sniff the other canines before taking him to a back corner of the fenced-in area. 

“I’m still not entirely sure how he’s going to act if I take him off the leash with other dogs around,” Killian explained, pulling a rope toy out of his coat pocket. “He seems a little leery, and I don’t want him getting aggressive with any of them.” 

Emma nodded her understanding as she watched Zeke and Killian engage in a tug-of-war with the toy. After he pulled it away from the dog, Killian tossed the knotted rope several yards away and let go of the leash. Zeke happily ran after it and brought it back.

“I’ve been trying to train him by keeping him in a small area and leaving his leash on while we play. Hopefully I’ll be able to let him off-leash once he figures out how this game works.”

After a few more throws, Zeke brought the toy back to Emma instead of his owner. “I guess he wants you to play, too!” Killian chuckled. 

For the next half hour, the three of them played fetch, and ran around the area chasing each other. Finally, Killian collapsed on one of the park benches breathing hard. 

“Tired, old man?” Emma teased, as she ruffled Zeke’s ears. 

“Old man? I’m only four years older than you, Swan!”

She sat down beside him. “When’s your birthday?”

“Next month. I’ll be twenty-four.”

“So, closer to five years, then.”

“Technicalities. In any case, I am definitely NOT an old man!”

Emma giggled. “Zeke acts like he could play for another hour or so.” 

“He’s going to be sorely disappointed, then. I’m ready to head back home. How about you?”

“Yeah, I’d better get back, too. I have to help with dinner preparations at the shelter and make sure that I have a clean uniform for tomorrow.”

They stood up and Killian grabbed the end of Zeke’s leash, then they walked toward the exit of the dog park. 

“How do you like your waitressing job at Granny’s?”

“It’s good. Granny usually schedules Ruby and me on the same shifts, which is nice because we can walk together. The diner is popular, and has a lot of regulars, so we stay pretty busy. Do you ever eat there?”

“I have a few times, but I tend to order take-out instead. She makes really good lasagna. Perhaps I should dine-in more often. I hear she recently hired some very pretty waitresses!”

Emma playfully slapped him on the arm. “Shut up!” she admonished, which made Killian laugh loudly.

When they arrived back at his house, he said, “I’ll take Zeke inside and get him a treat, then I’ll walk you back to the shelter.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’m fine walking by myself.”

“We might not have had much when I was growing up, but my mum taught me and Liam to be gentlemen, and a gentleman would never let a lady walk that far unaccompanied. Wait right here.”

Emma didn’t bother arguing. She actually quite liked the way he called her a lady and wanted to make sure she was safe. She felt cared for, just like when he’d given her his scarf; and the feeling made her smile. 

When Killian emerged from the house, they walked back the way they had come, chatting amicably. Standing in front of the shelter, Emma reached up to loosen the scarf, and started unwrapping it from around her neck. 

“Keep it, Swan - I’ve got a couple more in my closet. My sister-in-law is afraid I’m going to freeze to death in America, so she gives me at least one every year. I haven’t yet been able to convince her that it’s colder in Ireland than it is in North Carolina most of the time!”

“Oh, okay, thanks!” she replied, rubbing the soft, blue plaid material between her hands. “And thanks for inviting me to come along with you and Zeke. It was great seeing him again, and it helped take my mind off of everything.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it. I’ll miss seeing you at church tomorrow. Have a good week, and hopefully I’ll see you next Saturday!”

“Yeah, you have a good week, too. Goodbye!”

As she watched him walk away, she brought the end of the scarf to her nose and inhaled deeply, still able to smell his scent in the fabric. She wasn’t even aware of the dreamy smile she wore as she turned to enter the door of the shelter. 

*********  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for taking the time to read, leave kudos and perhaps even a comment. It's all very much appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tells Ruby her news and makes a decision; Emma and Killian spend some time together on Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks, as always, to my oh-so-patient beta Mary, a quiet shoutout to Saj, who has been nursing a concussion this week, and the ladies of Discord for all the productive writing sprints.

When Emma entered the curtained-off area that she and Ruby shared, she found her friend laying on her cot, staring at the expansive ceiling of the shelter. 

“Hey,” Emma greeted. “I wasn’t expecting you to be here. I thought you were going to hang out with Peter.” Ruby had recently started dating a young man she’d met at the diner when he came in for lunch with a couple of his friends. 

“Nah, he has some kind of family thing going on today, and our relationship hasn’t really progressed to the ‘come and meet my parents’ stage yet. Did you just finish at the church? That’s pretty late, isn’t it?”

“We finished decorating early because there were so many people there to help, so Killian asked me to go with him to take Zeke to the dog park.”

“Ooooh! So you were spending some quality alone time with this guy, huh?” Ruby said, her voice full of curiosity. 

“It’s not like that, Rubes. He’s just a friend, and since I helped him pick out his dog, he asked me to come along. Zeke was really happy to see me; you should’ve seen how his tail was wagging!”

“I’ll bet Killian’s tail was wagging, too!”

“Cut it out, Ruby!” Emma said sharply, glaring at her friend.

Ruby sat up slowly. “I was just teasing, Em. I didn’t mean to piss you off.” 

Emma sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. “I’m sorry, I just...it’s been…” she pulled her hands away to look at her friend. “I’m pregnant.”

Ruby’s jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. She opened and closed her mouth several times before she finally managed to say, “Wh-when did you find out?”

“This morning. Mary Margaret gave me a pregnancy test they had in the church office to use. Then later, she came back here with me to talk to Belle, who gave me a prepaid phone and the number for an OBGYN. Belle’s also gonna help me fill out an application for Medicaid, so my medical bills get covered.”

“I’m assuming it’s that asshole Cassidy’s kid?” At Emma’s nod, she added, “Why would you even want to  _ have  _ this baby? It’s the devil’s spawn! I’d get rid of it, if I was you!”

Emma could feel her face flushing with anger. “Don’t talk about my baby that way! You’re making it sound evil, and it didn’t do anything wrong!”

“You’re not seriously thinking about keeping it, are you? How the hell would you take care of it? Look around you, Emma! We’re in a homeless shelter!”

“You think I don’t know that? I haven’t decided what I’m doing yet, but if I  _ do _ choose to keep it, I’ve got friends who have said they would support me and help me. Obviously, _ you’re _ not one of them!” She jumped to her feet and rushed out of the space, hurrying around the other curtained dividers with tears burning her eyes. 

She burst through the front doors and ran around to the side of the building where she sank down to sit against the wall, wiping at her face with the scarf that she still wore around her neck. 

Emma didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there when she felt somebody slide down beside her. 

“I’m sorry, Em. I guess Granny’s right when she says I need a filter on my mouth. I...I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

Emma sniffled. “You’re right - you shouldn’t have. It’s not going to be an easy decision to make. I refuse to have an abortion, and I know it’s probably stupid to even consider keeping the baby. But what if I put it up for adoption and it gets stuck in the system like I did? I don’t think I could do that to my child.” 

“Sounds like you’re  _ already _ thinking of keeping it.”

“No...I mean...maybe. I don’t know! I just found out about it a few hours ago. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the news. I’m going to have to do a lot of thinking and praying about it.”

“Are you gonna tell the douchebag?”

“No! I’m going to make sure I don’t have to include his name on the birth certificate, and that he won’t have any rights to the baby at all!”

“Now on THAT I agree with you!” Ruby put her hand on her friend’s arm. “Look Emma, whether you decide to keep the baby or put it up for adoption, I’ll be here for you, too.”

Emma smiled at her through her tears. “Thanks, Ruby. That really means a lot to me.”

“Of course. Now, let’s go back inside; this ground is too damn hard and cold! Plus, it’s our turn to help with dinner tonight.” She stood and pulled Emma to her feet. Then she put her arm around her friend’s shoulders and they went back into the warmth of the building.

*********

Granny closed the diner at two o’clock on Christmas Eve, so Emma did get to attend the early service at church, and talked Ruby into going with her. When they were walking up to the front doors, they heard someone call out, “Swan!”

Emma turned and saw Killian striding up the sidewalk towards them, as she heard Ruby utter, “Holy shit! Hot guy alert!”

“Shhh Rubes! That’s Killian!”

“That’s  _ Killian _ ? The guy who’s just a friend? How do you keep your hands off of  _ that _ ?”

“Ruby,  _ SHUT UP _ !” Emma warned again through clenched teeth. 

“You made it!” Killian said, smiling broadly as he reached the top of the steps.   
  


“Uh, yeah, we did. Killian, this is my friend Ruby. Ruby, this is Killian,” Emma introduced. 

“Ah, Ruby! I’ve heard a lot about you,” Killian stated as he offered his hand. 

“Emma has told me about you, too,” she said, taking his hand to shake it. “Though she’s obviously left out some  _ very important _ details,” she added under her breath. Emma elbowed her sharply. 

“Do you, um, do you want to sit with us?” Emma asked.

“Sure, but let’s see if we can find Marco, so we can all sit together.”

“That’s what I was planning to do,” Emma assured him. 

Killian pulled open the heavy door. “After you, ladies.”

“Thank you,” Emma and Ruby said at the same time. 

“Wow! I’m glad we came early! This place is gonna be packed!” Emma declared once they were inside the sanctuary. 

“Aye, all the little actors and actresses probably have numerous family members who are coming to see them, so it will fill up fast.”

Both of them craned their necks to look for their elderly friend, and finally Killian pointed and said, “There he is. Looks like he’s got room for us in his pew.” He started leading the way through the crowd with Emma and Ruby following closely behind him. 

When they reached Marco, he stood to give his two friends a hug, and after Emma introduced him to Ruby, pulled her into a hug, as well. 

“Come, sit my friends!” he said cheerfully. “It’s such a lovely night for a service, isn’t it? And I’m so happy to have all of you to share it with!” Emma settled into the seat with Ruby on one side and Killian on the other. Marco sat on the end beside Killian, and the two men began chatting. 

Soon the music started and Emma felt a peacefulness settle around her. She began to think about how much her life had changed in the last two months, and her heart swelled. As the children came down the aisles dressed in bed sheets cut to look like tunics, and towels tied with bathrobe belts on their heads, she looked over at Killian. As if he sensed her eyes on him, he turned and gave her a soft smile. 

Emma felt her heart skip a beat and her breath catch in her throat. Fortunately, he quickly redirected his attention back to the parade of little shepherds and angels who were marching to the front of the church. She drew in a much-needed breath and silently admonished herself to get a grip. 

“Just a friend, huh?” Ruby whispered, and Emma dropped her head back and closed her eyes. Of course her friend would pick up on her reaction!

At that moment, to her relief, the pastor spoke into a microphone, welcoming everyone to the service. Emma concentrated on what he was saying and soon found herself caught up in the story of the birth of Christ, with the children acting out the scripture as it was read. 

When the verses were read about Mary bringing forth her firstborn child, wrapping him in swaddling cloths and laying him in a manger, a lady came in from the side of the church carrying an infant. She went up to the teenage girl who was playing Mary, and laid the baby in her lap. As the lady backed away, the baby started to fuss. The girl brought it up to her shoulder and started patting it on the back while she shushed it. The infant quieted immediately, and the pastor continued reading about how the angels delivered the news to the shepherds. 

Suddenly Emma’s arms ached to be the one holding the baby. Tears filled her eyes and she felt like she was suffocating. She leapt to her feet and squeezed past Killian and Marco to stagger toward the back of the church. 

Once outside, she sucked great gulps of the chilly air into her lungs. She didn’t notice the door behind her opening, so she was startled when a warm hand rubbed her back. 

“Swan? Are you alright?”

Emma took several shaky breaths as tears poured down her cheeks. “I…I...oh, Killian! I want to keep my baby!” She turned and buried her face in the navy blue sweater he wore, and felt his arms encircle her. 

“Then that’s what you should do.”

Her voice was muffled as she asked, “But how?”

“We’ll help you figure out a way.” 

“You guys...all of you, are too g-good to me. Belle...is helping figure out the insurance, M’s went with me to my doctor appointment, you and David are...still my friends and don’t h-hate me…”

Killian stepped back, took hold of her upper arms, and looked into her face. “Why on earth would we hate you?”

“Because I was stupid enough...to get pregnant by a loser...who tried to blame his crime on me.”

“I’m assuming this guy led you to believe that he loved you.” She nodded but wouldn’t look at him. “Love has been all too rare in your life, Emma, and I’m sure he took full advantage of that fact. I don’t think badly of  _ you _ at all. I  _ would _ like to have about five minutes alone with  _ him _ , though.”

She hiccuped a laugh, then wrapped her arms around herself as she shivered. 

“Do you feel like you’re ready to go back inside?” he asked.

“Yeah. I’m sorry I made you miss part of the service.”

“You didn’t make me do anything. I was worried you had gotten sick or something.”

“No, I was just freaking out a little bit. Thank you, Killian. You’re a good friend.”

The two of them went back to their seats as the song “Angels We Have Heard on High” came to an end. Ruby looked at her with concern and Emma just shrugged and mouthed ‘ _ I’m okay _ ’. 

She was able to enjoy the rest of the pageant, singing along to all the hymns, and laughing when one of the ‘wise men’ loudly announced that he had to pee. 

When the final song, “Silent Night”, was played and the whole congregation sang it in soft, reverant voices, Emma was able to hear Killian’s rich baritone voice. As the last notes drifted away, she felt him take her hand and give it a squeeze. 

Afterwards, several people stopped to wish their little group a Merry Christmas, and Emma was happy to realize that she recognized many of them from previous church services. It gave her a feeling of belonging. 

She and Ruby followed Marco down the front steps, with Killian walking slowly beside the older man to ensure his safety. “Merry Christmas, Marco,” they chorused, and he returned the greeting then hugged them both.

“I’m going to take Marco home so he won’t have to ride one of the city buses,” Killian informed them. “Are you ladies okay walking home by yourselves?”

Emma remembered what he’d said about being a gentleman when he’d walked her back to the shelter a few weeks before, but Ruby laughed. “You do realize that we were homeless and  _ living _ on these streets not so long ago, don’t you?”

Emma saw Killian’s eyes dart over to her and he swallowed hard, as if what Ruby had said bothered him. Then he smiled weakly and said, “That doesn’t make me any less concerned for your safety. Please be careful.”

“We will,” Emma assured him. “Merry Christmas, Killian. I’ll see you at services on Sunday.” Since Christmas Day was on a Friday, no one was doing any volunteer work at the church that Saturday.

Killian hesitated, then reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. After he unlocked it and tapped on the screen a few times, he walked over to Emma and asked, “Would you be willing to give me the number of the phone you’ve been using? I’d, um, I’d like to have a way of contacting you.” 

He handed her his phone and she saw he had a new contact page pulled up with the name ‘Swan’ already entered. She typed in the number and handed it back.

“Thanks,” he said. “Could...could I give you my number, too? You know, just in case you ever need anything.”

“Sure,” she replied, giving him her phone so he could return the favor. She slid it back into her coat pocket, then looked up to see the same soft smile on his face that he’d given her as the children were entering at the beginning of the service. 

“Have a good Christmas, Emma,” he said quietly, then turning to Ruby, he echoed the sentiment. After flashing Emma one last smile, he walked to his car with Marco. 

“I’m having a hard time believing that he thinks of you as just a friend,” she heard Ruby snicker as she watched the two men moving away.

Emma brushed past her to begin walking down the sidewalk. “Give it a rest, Ruby. Why would he be interested in somebody like me?”

“The heart wants what the heart wants, Em,” Ruby said, hurrying to catch up to the brisk pace her friend was setting.

“Oh, and I’m really sure his heart wants a pregnant homeless girl,” Emma said sarcastically.

“I wouldn’t call you a girl.”

“ _ That’s _ what you took from that description? Did you miss the part where I said  _ homeless _ and  _ pregnant _ ?”

“I’m aware of those facts, but apparently it doesn’t matter to him, if the way you two were making eyes at each other means anything.”

“We don’t make eyes.”

“Tell yourself whatever you need to in order to sleep at night, but how do you explain him holding you outside the church, after you freaked out during the service?”

Emma turned around so quickly that Ruby nearly ran right into her. “How do you know that?”

“Because I went out to check on you and saw it myself.”

“I didn’t see you come out.”

“That’s because I didn’t want to intrude, so I went back in.”

“Since when does Ruby Lucas not want to intrude?”

“Since you looked pretty cozy in his arms.”

“We weren’t  _ cozy _ ! He was just helping me with...something.”

“With what? What the hell happened to make you run out like that?”

“I, uh, I don’t really want to talk about it.”   
  


“But you talked to  _ him _ about it?”

“That’s, it’s...he was just  _ there _ , you know?”

“So if  _ I _ would’ve been the first one to jump up and run after you, you would have told  _ me, _ then?”

“He ran after me?”

“Missing the point here, Em! Why did you tell him, but you won’t tell me?”

“Because I knew he wouldn’t judge me, okay?” Emma said loudly, before turning to stomp off.

“That’s not fair! When have I ever judged you?” Ruby shouted, grabbing Emma’s arm to halt her progress. 

“When I told you I was pregnant!” Emma hissed, looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. 

“I told you I was sorry about that! It was a knee-jerk reaction and I should have kept my mouth shut. I promise I won’t judge you again.”

They resumed walking, but remained silent until they were nearly back to the shelter. Finally, Emma stopped and looked at her friend. 

“When I saw that girl holding the baby, I...I...this  _ feeling  _ just came over me. All of a sudden, it was clear in my mind what my decision should be about whether or not to keep the baby.”

Ruby waited for a few moments before she lost patience. “Well? Are you gonna tell me?”

Emma looked her friend in the eye to judge her reaction. “I’m keeping it.”

She saw a flicker of doubt pass over Ruby’s face before she cleared her throat and said, “Then I guess I’ll get to be ‘fun Aunt Ruby’!”

Emma released the breath she’d been holding and hugged Ruby tightly. “Thank you, Rubes.” After releasing her, she added, “Just promise me you won’t corrupt my kid.”

“Oh, come on! What fun would that be?” Ruby laughed, linking her elbow through Emma’s as they approached the front doors. 

*********

Emma didn’t have many good memories of past Christmases. If she thought hard enough, she could remember her last Christmas with the family who had almost adopted her. She could barely picture the decorated tree with all the presents underneath, and her parents telling her that Santa had come. One package she opened was a stuffed swan, and it was that one single toy she had taken with her when the Social Services woman had put the confused little girl into her car and driven her away from the only home she’d ever known. 

She held onto the toy until she was almost twelve-years-old. It was the one constant in her life through every move. Then one day, a teenage girl at one of the group homes called her a baby, before pulling the tattered, filthy swan from Emma’s arms and ripping it to pieces while Emma tried in vain to get it away from the bully. She had taken it to the house mother, pleading with her to repair it, but no matter how hard she tried, the material was too old and thin. She was kind enough to give Emma an old towel to wrap it in, before taking it from her to place in a trash bag so Emma wouldn’t have to watch it being thrown away. 

After that, she always told people her last name was Swan, even though it was never legally changed. She didn’t want to have the last name of the couple who had given her away as if she never meant anything to them, and most of the foster parents hadn’t cared what she was called. When she tried to get a Social Security card, they couldn’t find any record of her birth, so she had to apply for a delayed birth certificate. On that application, she’d entered her name as ‘Emma Swan’. She supposed that was as close to official as she could get. 

Being in a homeless shelter probably should have made for yet another dismal Christmas, but Emma ranked it as one of her best. All of the residents had helped to decorate the dining area, including a large tree covered with white lights, red garland, and gold ornaments. The children at the shelter all received two toys and a new set of clothes, which everyone enjoyed watching them open. 

Little Alexandra had been excited to show Emma her gifts, something that was extra special to Emma because the family was leaving at the end of the month. Thomas had gotten a steady job, and Ashley was working part-time at a daycare, which gave them enough income to be able to afford their own apartment. Emma was very happy for them, but knew she would miss the little family, even though they had extended an invitation for her to come visit them anytime. 

There was another festive meal, similar to the one they had at Thanksgiving, and then impromptu caroling. Emma couldn’t help but think about how these people all had sad stories similar to hers, but could still find hope and joy in the Christmas season. 

She was still wearing a smile when she went back to her area after helping to clean up afterwards. Ruby had made plans with Peter, so Emma had their space to herself. 

She retrieved her phone from under the blanket on her cot, and saw she had two new text messages when she unlocked it. The first one was from Mary Margaret who, along with David, wished her a Merry Christmas. Emma happily sent her a reply wishing them the same. 

The second one was from Killian, who also sent her a Christmas greeting. His text made the smile on her face even bigger, and she quickly sent a return message. Before she could even lay the phone down, it buzzed once again.

_ K: How has your day been? _

_ E: Really good. Belle and Tink try to make holidays extra special here. _

_ K: I’m happy to hear it! _

_ E: Did you talk to your family today? _

_ K: Aye, right away this morning, which was early afternoon for them. _

_ E: Are they doing well? _

Emma almost dropped the phone when, instead of a short buzz indicating a text message, it started vibrating with an incoming call. “Hello?” she answered tentatively. 

“I thought it might be easier if I just called you, Swan. You don’t mind, do you?”

“Of course not! Did you have a good Christmas?”

“Aye, it’s been a quiet one, but good. I gave Zeke a stocking full of toys and treats, but alas, he didn’t get me anything!”

Emma giggled. “Man’s best friend and he forgets to get you a gift!”

It was Killian’s turn to laugh. “Speaking of Zeke, I still need to take him for his evening walk. Care to go along with us? I thought it would be nice to look at the Christmas decorations at night. Unless you have other plans, of course.”

“That sounds really nice. Do you want me to meet you outside the church?”

“I can come to the shelter to…”

“Killian, I really  _ am _ okay to walk by myself. It’s only a few blocks. By the time you come here, we walk around for a while, then you go back home, Zeke is gonna be exhausted!”

“He’ll be fine, Love.”

Emma froze. He had never called her by that endearment before, but she relaxed once she recalled him saying it on occasion when he talked to Mary Margaret. She supposed it was part of his Irish dialect. 

“I’ll meet you at the church,” she told him firmly. “No arguments!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Killian teased, then sobered as he added, “Just be careful, Swan.”

“I will. See you in a little while.”

She put on the warm boots that Tink had insisted she choose from the donation room, once she noticed that all Emma had was a pair of black flats and her tattered sneakers. Then she donned her red coat, buttoned the three oversized black buttons, and wrapped the scarf Killian had given her around her neck. 

He wasn’t there when she arrived at the church, but she really hadn’t expected him to be, since he had a longer distance to walk. As she waited, she looked once again at the oversized Nativity scene that was on the front lawn of the church. This year, she finally realized the true meaning of Christmas, and she vowed that if she ever had a place of her own, the first Christmas decoration she’d buy would be a manger scene. 

Emma jumped when she suddenly heard a loud bark right behind her. She turned to see Zeke joyfully wagging his tail and pulling at the leash to get to her. 

“Mind your manners, boy,” Killian admonished. “Hello, Swan. Sorry if this guy startled you.”

“No worries,” she said, bending down to pet the excited dog’s head. Straightening up she asked, “Which way do you want to go?”

“Well, I’ve seen all the decorations down that way,” he said, pointing in the direction from which he’d come, “and you’ve seen all of them that way. Why don’t we go down this street? There’s a park a few blocks away and I think they decorate it every year.”

“Sounds good.” Emma gave Zeke one more good head rub, then fell into step beside his owner. 

“Did you talk to Marco today?” she asked.

“No, his son and daughter-in-law were arriving early this morning. They’ll be here for the next week. You’ll get to meet them at church on Sunday.”

“Oh, that will be nice! Every time he talks about August, you can tell how proud he is.”

“I got to meet him last year - he’s a good guy. He moved to Colorado to be a forest ranger in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and that’s where he met his wife. She’s a white water rafting guide.”

“Wow! That sounds exciting!”

“I’d like to try that someday. How about you, Swan?”

“Not me! I don’t know how to swim.”

“A swan that can’t swim?” Killian teased.

Emma bumped her shoulder into his. “You’re hysterical, Jones.” He grinned in response.

“So, you’ve had a good Christmas, then?” he asked. 

“The best I can remember,” Emma said. “I guess that sounds kind of weird, since I’m in a shelter for homeless people, but I really enjoyed the meal, singing Christmas carols, and watching the kids open their presents.”

“It doesn’t sound weird at all. I’m glad it was such an enjoyable day for you.”

“How about you? You said you had a quiet day. I hope it was quiet in a good way.”

“Um, it was okay. I was really missing my family today. I FaceTimed them for about an hour and watched Declan open his presents. This might be the last year Liam and Rose will be able to hold him off until later in the day to do that, since he’s still too young right now to understand Santa Claus. Next year, I’ll probably have to get up in the middle of the night to watch him.”

“Maybe next year you’ll be able to be there in person.”

“That would be great, but I’m planning to go over to visit them this coming Spring, so I doubt it.” 

“Did you do anything else today? Besides giving Zeke his gifts, I mean.”

Killian scratched behind his ear. “No. Dave and Mary Margaret went to his parents’ house today, so I was kind of on my own. I did watch some Christmas movies.”

“I’m sorry you were alone all day; I know how that is. Why didn’t you call me?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your day, since I figured they had lots of things planned for all of the residents. I’m really glad you took me up on my offer to walk with us tonight, though.” 

They reached the park and Emma looked around at the decorations. “Oh, it’s so pretty! I should tell Ashley and Thomas about this so they can bring Alexandra to see it! She’d love it!” 

Killian had heard Emma talk several times about the family who had become her friends. “I think they leave the decorations up until after the New Year, so they still have some time to bring her here.” 

They wandered around the park for quite a while as Zeke sniffed around every park bench and tree. Finally, Killian suggested that they head back, because it would be getting pretty late by the time he and his dog got home. 

Emma didn’t realize he was taking them back along a different route until they ended up across the street from the shelter. 

“Very sneaky! I told you I’m fine walking alone.”

“I don’t doubt that, Emma, but the point is, you don’t have to be. Alone...I mean.” 

“That’s really sweet, Killian. I don’t mean to sound unappreciative. I guess it’s just gonna take some time for me to get used to having friends I can rely on.”

They were now standing right outside the building, and Killian reached inside his coat pocket to pull out a wrapped package. He held it out to her as he said, “Happy Christmas, Emma.”

“You didn’t have to get me anything!” she exclaimed. “I don’t have anything to give to you!”

“I didn’t expect you to. I just saw this and thought you would like it. Go ahead and open it.”

Emma looked at him for a moment longer, then slowly peeled the paper away. She could tell it was a book, and she eagerly flipped it over to discover the title - “The Swan Princess”. 

“Oh, Killian! Thank you so much!”

“Have you read that story before?”

“No, never! I didn’t even know there  _ was  _ a fairy tale by that name!”

“I hope you enjoy it.”

“I’m sure I will!” She pulled her eyes away from the gilded front cover to look up at him. “This was very thoughtful of you, Killian. I can’t thank you enough.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s really not that much.”

Before she could think better of it, she wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. “It is to me,” she whispered. 

After a few more seconds, she stepped back and looked up at him. “Maybe I  _ do _ have a gift for you.”   
  


“What’s that, Swan?”

“Any time you’re lonely, I want you to call me. If I’m not working, we can talk, or I’ll go with you to take Zeke for a walk. I really enjoyed this!”

He grinned. “As have I, Emma. Thank you for that offer - I’m sure I’ll hold you to it!”

“You better!” she grinned. 

He returned her smile. “Well, I guess I should get going. It’s almost Zeke’s bedtime, and I’m sure you’re ready for some sleep yourself.”

“Yeah, I’ve been really tired, but that’s typical in the first trimester of pregnancy, I guess.”

“That’s how Rose was when she was pregnant with Declan. Liam told me that he would come home from work and find her asleep on the sofa, and she wouldn’t even remember driving home from her job. I know it really worried him. I think it passed after a few weeks, though. Hopefully yours will, too.”

Emma’s heart was warmed as she realized that her pregnancy didn’t seem to bother Killian or make him think any less of her. “Thanks. I really hope so.”

She bent down to give Zeke a hug and stroked his furry head and back. When she stood up, she and Killian looked at each other for a few moments before he finally stepped forward to press a light kiss to her cheek. “Happy Christmas once again, Emma.”

“Happy Christmas to you, too, Killian,” she returned with a beaming smile. “Goodnight!” 

She stood on the sidewalk and watched the two of them walk away. At the end of the block, he turned and raised his hand in a wave, before they rounded the corner and disappeared. 

It wasn’t until after she had gotten into her pajamas and brushed her teeth, that she sat down on her cot and opened the front cover of her new book. Inside, she found that Killian had added an inscription which read:  _ To Emma, my favorite Swan Princess. Happy reading! Love, Killian and Zeke _ .

She traced her fingers over the looping script, wearing a soft smile on her face. She didn’t notice that her roommate had entered their area, so it surprised her when Ruby suddenly spoke to her. “What’s gotten you all starry-eyed?”

Emma quickly closed the book. “Nothing.”

Ruby studied her. “Why don’t I believe you?” 

Emma shrugged, and tried to discreetly push the book under her thigh. She should have known her friend wouldn’t be fooled.

“Whatcha got there?”

“Just, um, just a book.”

“Is it new?”

“Yeah.”

“Where did you get it?”

“Why are you so interested? You’ve never paid this close of attention to any other book I’ve read before.”

“I’m just trying to figure out why this particular one has put such a sappy smile on your face.”

“It hasn’t. I just...you know how much I love books!”

“I do, but…” Ruby made a quick grab for the book and pulled it out from under Emma’s leg before she could stop her. She ignored Emma’s protests and flipped open the front cover. “Ohhh, that explains it! It’s a gift from lover boy!”

Emma snatched the book back. “Stop saying things like that, Ruby!” she snapped. “He’s just a friend! Friends give each other gifts!” 

Ruby opened her mouth to make another suggestive comment, but decided against it. She sat down on her cot and sighed. “Sorry, Em, you’re right. It’s a cool gift! It sounds like it was written just for you!”

“Yeah, maybe the ‘swan’ part, but I definitely don’t fit the ‘princess’ description!” Emma laughed, clearly forgiving her friend. “Did Peter give you anything?” 

“He got me this purse,” Ruby replied, pulling on a shoulder strap to display a small, maroon handbag. “I love it! And he really liked the beanie I gave him. He understood that I couldn’t afford to give him much.”

“He sounds like a good guy.”

Ruby nodded, with a wide smile on her face. Then she stood up and left their space to go through her usual bedtime routine, and they both laid down on their beds, pulling the blankets up to their chins.

“It was a really nice day,” Emma said through a yawn.

“Yeah, it was the first good Christmas I’ve had for as long as I can remember.”

“Me, too. Maybe the New Year will be the best one yet,” Emma sighed, as she dropped her hand down to rub circles over her belly. 

*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love seeing that people are reading this story! Kudos and comments are appreciated more than I can ever say!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary: Emma and Killian attend a New Year’s Eve party at David’s apartment building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you's go out to Mary, Saj, and the encouraging ladies on Discord.

Killian called Emma on Monday, and they chatted for about fifteen minutes. She was happy to have someone to talk to, because Ruby had been spending most of her free time with Peter, while Ashley, Thomas and Alexandra were busy making preparations to move into their apartment. Even though she was surrounded by dozens of people at the shelter, most of the residents tended to keep to themselves. 

On Tuesday, Killian once again invited Emma to join him in taking Zeke for a walk. They explored another new route, enjoying the Christmas lights along the way. 

When they arrived back at the shelter, Killian asked, “Are you going to the New Year’s Eve party at Dave’s apartment complex?” Mary Margaret and David had extended an invitation to Emma after the church service on Sunday. 

“Oh, uh, I don’t think so. I won’t...I’m not gonna know anybody there.”

“You’ll know me, M’s, Dave, Will Scarlett and Belle. Did you know they date each other?” Emma shook her head. “Oh, and one of the security guards at the shelter - Graham Humbert? He lives in the same building as Dave, and Tink is his girlfriend. They will all be at the party.”

“I, um, I guess I could go. I’ll have to get David’s address so I know which bus to take.”

“I don’t like the idea of you being on a city bus on New Year’s Eve. You can come with me, if you like. I mean, you don’t have to go at all, but I think you would have fun.”

Emma chewed on her lip as she thought about it. “Well, how should I dress if I decide to go? I don’t...I don’t have very many nice clothes.”

“You could wear that green sweater you had on at the Christmas Eve service. It really brings out the color of your eyes. The party is going to be super casual, so you can just wear it with a pair of jeans.”

Emma was a little surprised he’d noticed what she had worn that evening - she didn’t think men paid attention to details like that. Mary Margaret and David had given her the cozy green cardigan as an early Christmas gift so she could wear it to the special service.

“Would I need to bring anything?”

“No, everything will be provided, and there will be plenty of non-alcoholic drinks,” he said, briefly dropping his eyes down to her belly. 

“It  _ would _ be kind of nice to spend some time away from here. Ruby is planning on being with Peter that night, anyway.” She pondered for a bit longer before she finally nodded and said, “Okay, I’ll go. I get off work at two o’clock that day. What time do you want me to come over?” 

“Do you want to take a walk with me and Zeke, then head to my house?”

“Sure, that’s fine.”

“How about if we meet in front of the church at five o’clock?”

“That sounds great! I’ll see you then!” She gave Zeke some attention before waving to both of them, and going inside the building. 

*********

As Ruby and Emma walked home after their shift on Thursday, the brunette was chattering away. “It sure is nice that we’re rarely scheduled for the breakfast shift these days. You aren’t gonna tell Granny you haven’t been getting sick very often anymore, are you?”

“Gee, I’m really glad my morning sickness has been so convenient for you!” Emma said sarcastically. 

Ruby laughed. “At least we had a short shift today so I’ll have time to get ready for my date. I’m a little nervous about the restaurant where Peter is taking me. I hope the dress I bought is alright, and that I’ll know what to order. I’ve never been to a fancy place like that.”

“If you’re not going to be comfortable, ask him to take you somewhere else.”

“No, I’m curious about it. I want to see how the other half lives, you know?”

Emma shrugged. “I guess, but I’m sure _ I _ wouldn’t feel like I belonged there. You can tell me what it’s like tomorrow. Do you want me to help you get ready?”

“Don’t you have to get ready for your own date?” Ruby teased.

Emma glared at her friend and Ruby laughed. “Yes, please. I don’t want to embarrass Peter by wearing the wrong thing or putting on too much makeup, or something.”

“I think the dress you bought will be perfect. Peter is going to love it!”

The two friends discussed how Ruby should style her hair and apply her makeup, and what accessories she could wear, until they reached the shelter. 

*********

“Emma, may I ask you something?” Killian questioned as they strolled down the sidewalk toward his house. 

“Of course,” she answered, a little thrown off from him calling her something besides ‘Swan’. 

“You don’t have to answer if you’d rather not.”

“Go ahead and ask.” 

Killian rubbed behind his ear with his finger before turning to look at her, as Zeke stopped to sniff yet another tree. “What, uh, where is the baby’s father?”

Emma took a deep breath. “He’s....he’s in jail...for stealing a car.”

“Oh. Do you have any contact with him at all?”

“No, and I don’t intend to; he tried to blame the theft on me.”

“You’re kidding!”

“Nope. We had been together for a couple of months, and out of the blue Neal showed up with this little yellow Volkswagen, which he said he borrowed from a friend. We ended up living in it for a while, until one day when he was out getting us something to eat, and the police found me in it and arrested me for stealing it. I was in jail for eleven days before they caught him, but he...he called me all kinds of names and told them that I was the thief. Fortunately, witnesses saw him do it, and the arresting officer believed me when I said I had no idea it was stolen.”

Killian’s jaw ticked before he responded tightly, “Maybe I need  _ ten _ minutes alone with him instead of five.”

“He’s honestly not worth wasting ten minutes of your life on,” she said, forcing a smile. “Anyway, he won’t be part of this baby’s life, if I have anything to say about it.”

“You have the choice to leave his name off the birth certificate, so he won’t have any rights to it. At least I think that’s the way it works.”

“Yeah, that’s what Belle told me, and that’s what I’m planning to do.” 

Neither of them said anything else until they were almost at Killian’s house. 

“You must think I’m a pretty naive person to trust somebody like that.”

Killian stopped walking and turned to look at her. When she wouldn’t meet his eye, he took her hand and squeezed it. “No, Swan. If anything, it makes me admire you for the strength that you’ve shown through it all.”

“I don’t feel very strong.”

“You’re stronger than you think, Emma.”

They arrived at his house and Killian started up the walkway leading to his front steps. When he looked over his shoulder, he saw that Emma wasn’t following him, but was still standing on the sidewalk by the street. 

“You don’t have to wait out here, Swan. You’re welcome to come into the house. We’ve still got about twenty minutes before we need to leave. I won’t bite, I promise!”

Emma chuckled. “Well, now that you’ve put my biggest fear to rest, I guess I  _ can  _ come in.”

He unlocked the door and opened it, then gestured for Emma to precede him into the house. 

Once inside, Killian took Zeke into the kitchen to get him a treat and make sure his water bowl was filled. Emma stood in the entryway and looked around the living room, which was sparsely furnished with a rocking recliner, an old sofa behind a wobbly-looking coffee table which had a couple of books and some magazines piled on it, a television on a TV stand, and a big box of dog toys in the corner. 

“I just picked this furniture up at a thrift store when I moved in. I intend to get nicer things in the future, but it’s comfortable enough for the two of us, isn’t it, boy?” Killian said, coming back into the room with Zeke at his heels. 

“It looks okay to me.”

The tips of Killian’s ears reddened a bit as he realized he was apologizing for his cheap furniture to a person who had been without a home for several years. “Uh, would you like something to drink? Water, or hot chocolate? I seem to remember you’re partial to that beverage.”

“Water is fine, thanks. I didn’t realize we would have so much time before we left for the party.”

“Well, I was planning on driving around a bit to see more Christmas lights, but I noticed most people have either taken them down or aren’t turning them on anymore.”

“Yeah, I saw that on our walk. It’s kind of sad that it’s over so quickly.”

“It really is. Go ahead and sit down and I’ll get your water.”

She sat down on the edge of the couch and picked up one of the books, while Killian disappeared back into the kitchen. Zeke walked over and put his head on her knee. She chuckled and started rubbing behind his ears. “You always want attention, don’t you?”

“He definitely loves you, Swan,” Killian said, returning and handing her the bottle of water. “I think he recognizes your name, because he gets very excited when I tell him we’re going to go walking with you.”

“Do you do that? Do you get excited?” Emma asked the dog in a playful voice, laughing when he wagged his tail so fast his whole body wiggled. 

Killian smiled at the scene, pleased that the canine had a way of bringing out the happiness in Emma. The bits and pieces he was finding out about her life were filled with hardship and sadness. He didn’t understand how someone as sweet as the young woman in front of him was dealt such a difficult hand in life. He hoped the worst was behind her, and that her future held much brighter days. 

“How do you like this book?” she asked, holding it up to show him.

“Truthfully, I haven’t read very much of it yet. Do you like biographies?”

“There aren’t many types of books that I don’t like. They’ve always been my way to sort of escape reality. I love having the exchange at the church because now I always have new books to read. You got this one from there, didn’t you?”

“As a matter of fact, I did. How did you know that?”

“Because I just read it and turned it back in a couple of weeks ago,” Emma smirked. 

“Ah! You need to give me a review of it, then!” 

“Maybe the two of us could meet once a week to talk about the books we read. I was in a book club at a school I attended for a while. It was a lot of fun!”

“That’s a good idea! We would have to read the same books, though,” Killian pointed out.

“Well, I could read a book first, and if I like it, I’ll give it to you, then we can discuss it as you read.”

“We could start with this one next week. I mean, if you think it’s worth reading.”

“I do. It wasn’t the best biography I’ve ever read, but it was still interesting. What day would you like to meet?” Emma asked.

“I’m always available in the evenings, so it will depend on your work schedule.” 

“I’ll have to check it and let you know. Can I send you a text tomorrow?”

“Of course. Would you, um, would you like to walk Zeke with me, then come back here for something to eat before we talk about the book?”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Not at all! It would be nice to have company for dinner once a week. It gets a little lonely eating by myself all the time.”

“I understand that.” 

Killian checked the time on his phone. “We can take off any time, now,” he announced. He noticed that Emma started wringing her hands nervously. 

“Um, can I use your bathroom before we go?”

“Sure. It’s down the hallway, first door on the right.”

“Thanks.” When she returned a few minutes later, Killian could see that she had applied some lipstick and fluffed her hair a bit. She wrapped her arms around herself, which he knew was something she did when she was uncomfortable. 

“Relax, Love. This party is going to be really informal. I went to it last year and had loads of fun, and I didn’t know anyone except Mary Margaret and David. It’s in the lounge of his apartment building, and there will be music, food and drinks. There’s a game room with tabletop shuffleboard, ping pong and pool tables, dart boards…”

“Darts?” Emma asked, her face suddenly brightening.

“Yes, do you like to play?”

“I’m a really good dart player, actually. One group home I lived in had a couple of dart boards. Since we didn’t have much else to do, we played them all the time. I usually wipe the floor with anyone who plays against me.”

“Is that so?”

“Think you’d be brave enough to find out?” 

“I do love a challenge, Swan,” he grinned.

“Then you’re on! I hope your ego can take a beating!” she teased, pulling on her coat and petting Zeke before she headed toward the door.

Killian smiled and shook his head, thinking about the transformation that had taken place in her just because he mentioned darts. Emma Swan was an enigma, but he was enjoying trying to figure her out.

*********

“Emma! You made it!” Mary Margaret exclaimed, rushing over to give her friend a hug. 

“Aye, and I’m here, too,” Killian groused, failing to hide a small grin as he winked at Emma over Mary Margaret’s shoulder. “Where’s my hug? Aren’t you happy to see  _ me _ ?” 

“And how are  _ you _ doing, Killian?” Mary Margaret said, giving him a quick squeeze, while barely concealing her laughter at his false indignation. 

“I’m fine. Thanks for noticing me,” he sighed. Emma giggled at the exchange. 

“Hey, good to see you, Emma!” David greeted as he joined them, unaware of what had just taken place. 

Killian rolled his eyes as Emma received another welcoming hug. “Is there any pâté at this party, Mate?” he asked.

David released Emma and looked at the other man curiously. “I don’t believe so, why?”

“Because I just figured I might as well go hang out with the other chopped liver, since that’s all I seem to be!”

Emma and Mary Margaret burst into laughter, and David looked between the three people in front of him in total confusion. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Never mind. Point us towards the food, would you Dave?”

“Follow me. Mary Margaret made her famous meatballs.”

Killian fell into step with his friend, while the two women followed behind. Mary Margaret was pointing people out to Emma and explaining who they were and how she knew them. Emma could feel the nerves kicking up again at being around so many people she didn’t know. Years of being passed from one stranger to another had caused her to be uncomfortable in situations like this, but being here with her friends made it easier, and she was looking forward to a fun night. 

The four of them filled their plates with sandwiches and snacks, grabbed drinks, and followed Mary Margaret, who led them to a corner of the lounge where the music wasn’t as loud. They spent the next half hour enjoying their food and conversation, while watching the other party-goers dance and mingle.

When their plates were empty, Mary Margaret and David excused themselves to go welcome another couple who had just arrived. 

“So, where’s this dartboard you promised, Jones?” Emma asked with a sly smile. 

“Right this way, Milady. Let’s see if you can impress me with your dart throwing prowess!”

Emma giggled as they walked across the lounge to enter a larger room where several people were already playing ping pong and billiards. She walked directly to the end of the room where there were two dart boards spaced a good distance apart. 

“Do you want to be black or red?” she asked, beginning to pull the darts out of the corkboard. 

“Black. It’s my lucky color.”

“You’re gonna need all the help you can get, buddy!” she laughed, handing him the three darker colored darts. 

The first game was over quickly, as Emma beat Killian soundly. He pretended to be chagrined, but secretly savored the joy it brought her. 

“Wanna try again?” she teased. “You can have red this time since black obviously wasn’t lucky for you!” 

“I’ll stick with black, if you don’t mind,” he answered, yanking his set of darts out of the board. 

The next competition was closer, but Emma was still victorious. As she gloated, he tried not to grin, but simply toed the line to signify that he was ready for another game. 

After being at the party for nearly three hours, playing several rounds of darts and dancing to the music, Killian noticed that Emma had gotten quiet and was yawning frequently. 

“Swan, are you feeling alright?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. 

“Yeah. Just a little tired.”

“Would you like to go home?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“I don’t mind leaving early, if you need to go back.”

“You shouldn’t have to leave the party early on account of me.”

“It’s okay, I…”

“No, Killian,” she said firmly. “I just need a break. I’ll go sit down and rest for a while, then I should be fine.”

He studied her for a few moments. “Why don’t I ask Dave if you can lay down in his apartment for a while. It would be much more comfortable and quiet up there,” he suggested.

Emma realized he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and honestly, laying down in a calm environment sounded very appealing. “Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, if he doesn’t mind.”

“I’m sure he won’t. Why don’t you have a seat and I’ll go find him.”

He went searching for his friend and soon found him standing beside the bar talking to Will Scarlett. He put a hand on each of their shoulders and leaned in between them. “What’s going on, guys?”

“Scarlett is making bets with me about the bowl games tomorrow.”

“When are you going to realize you know nothing about sports, Will? You’re gonna lose your shirt on those bets! Besides, you and I both know that is NOT  _ real  _ football.”

David crossed his arms and glared at his Irish friend. “Here we go again! The game you’re referring to is called soccer!”

“That is TRUE football, Mate! Not the travesty they play in this country!”

“If you’re gonna live here, you’re gonna have to learn to love it and refer to it by its proper name!”

“That’s never going to happen!” Killian retorted. David continued to scowl at him, but Killian just laughed, then changed the subject. “Dave, Emma is flagging a bit. Would you mind if she rested in your apartment?”

David immediately uncrossed his arms and replied, “Of course not! Let me find Mary Margaret and tell her where I’m going. I’ll meet the two of you at the elevator.”

Killian nodded and began weaving his way back through the crowd to where Emma was sitting in a folding chair close to the television. 

“Dave’s going to be waiting for us by the elevator, Swan.”

Emma smiled and rose from the chair. “Thank you, Killian.”

She started to follow him and he reached out to take her hand to help guide her through the dancing partiers. By the time they reached the elevator, David was leaning against the side of the open doorway to keep the doors from closing. 

“Are you sure it’s okay that I…” Emma began as they stepped inside.

“Absolutely! You’re welcome to stay in my apartment for as long as you need.” He pressed the button for the fourth floor and Emma sagged against the back wall. When the car came to a halt, she pushed herself away from the wall and stumbled along behind David, with Killian walking beside her. 

David unlocked the door to his apartment and flipped on the lights. “You can lay down in my bedroom. It’s…”   
  


“The couch is fine,” Emma said, eyeing the comfortable-looking sofa in the middle of the room. 

David rushed over and plucked two shirts off the back of it. “Sorry about that. Mary Margaret was helping me decide what to wear tonight.”

“No problem,” Emma said, hiding a yawn behind her hand. She sank down onto the cushions and sat stiffly, looking around the small living room. 

Killian offered her a pillow he had taken off the opposite end of the couch. “Get comfortable, Swan. You’re not going to get any rest sitting like that.”

“I’ll grab a blanket from my room,” David said, already heading in that direction. 

Emma swung her feet around and laid her head on the pillow. “You guys are too good to me,” she said, struggling to hold in another yawn.

“We’re just proving that true gentlemen still exist,” Killian said. He hoped she hadn’t lost faith in all men after what she had told him about her baby’s father. 

She smiled as she replied, “That’s good to know.”

David returned, unfolding a red and tan plaid blanket, which he draped over Emma. “Do you need anything else?” 

“No, thanks. Oh wait! I should probably take off my boots.” She started to sit up, but Killian held up a hand to stop her. 

“I’ve got them, Love.” He quickly unzipped the black, calf-high boots and pulled them off, sitting them on the floor at the end of the couch. 

Emma let out a soft groan. “That feels so much better already. My shift at the diner really took a toll on my feet today. We were really busy.”

Killian sat down on the other end of the sofa and lifted her feet into his lap. She protested as he began to rub them. “Hush, Swan,” he admonished. “Just relax.” 

“Here you go,” David said, setting a glass of ice water on the coffee table in front of Emma. “I thought you might need something to drink.”

Emma’s eyes filled with tears and she blinked quickly, trying to keep them from falling. “Th-thanks, guys. I’m not, uh, I’m not used to people taking care of me like this.”

Killian and David shared a look before David said, “No problem, Emma. I’m going to head back down to the party. I promised Mary Margaret the next slow dance.”

“I’ll be down in a few minutes, Mate. I’m just going to enjoy the peace and quiet for a while longer,” Killian said. David nodded and went out the door. 

Killian continued massaging Emma’s feet as her eyes began to close. “You don’t have to stay with me. I don’t want you to miss the party,” she mumbled. 

“I’m not worried about that. It’s a little too noisy and crowded for my taste, anyway. You don’t mind my being here, do you?” 

“Uh-uh. Just don’t let me sleep through the ball drop, okay?”

“As you wish.”

*********

The next thing Emma knew, Killian was gently shaking her awake. “Swan, it’s fifteen minutes to midnight.”

She forced her eyes open and sat up, stretching and yawning. “Did you stay here the whole time?”

“No, I went back down to the party for about forty minutes or so. It’s getting louder as people get more inebriated. Do you want to watch the ball drop down there, or would you rather I turn it on the television here?”

“Um, I think it would be fun to be with everybody. Not that I don’t enjoy the quieter atmosphere; it’s just I’ve never been with friends for New Year’s before. Let me use the bathroom before we go.”

When they emerged from the elevator, Emma immediately noticed the increased volume in the room. She craned her neck, searching for Mary Margaret and David, and finally spotted them among the throng crowded around the television. She looked up at Killian and he once again took her hand to direct them across the room. 

“Hi Emma! And you too, Killian!” Mary Margaret shouted, trying to make herself heard above the noise. She pulled on the sleeve of her boyfriend’s shirt to get his attention. 

David looked around and gave the pair a huge, drunken smile. “Hey! You’re jus’ in time! The countdown’s almos’ ready to start!” He took a step backwards, put his hand in the middle of Emma’s back, and guided her to the open spot he had created in front of himself. 

Less than five minutes later, the glittering ball began to descend and everyone started chanting along with the thousands of people in Times Square. When they reached zero, there was a deafening shout of ‘Happy New Year’ and the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” could barely be heard. Someone pushed a noisemaker into Emma’s hand and she turned to see Killian grinning at her. She brought the horn to her lips and blew as hard as she could, doing her share to add to the din. 

Suddenly, the noise level dropped a bit as the couples around them engaged in the age-old tradition of sharing a kiss to welcome the New Year. Emma bit her lip as she glanced over at Killian. He seemed as unsure as she did, before he smiled and placed a chaste kiss on the corner of her mouth. “Happy New Year, Emma!” he exclaimed. 

“Happy New Year, Killian!” she returned with a smile. 

Soon the music was turned back on, and Killian asked, “Do you feel like dancing some more?”

“I’m actually feeling pretty good, now that I’ve had a foot rub and a good nap!”

After a couple of songs with a fast, pounding beat, a slow song began to play. Killian looked at Emma and raised his eyebrows. “Shall we?”

“Uh, sure! Why not?” She placed her hands on his shoulders as he lightly gripped her waist. They moved in a small circle, trying to avoid being jostled by the other couples around them. 

When a more-than-slightly-tipsy man swayed backwards, he bumped into Emma, knocking her off-balance. Scrambling to hold onto something solid to keep her from falling, she wrapped her arms around Killian’s waist, and he instinctively pulled her tightly against himself. When she realized how closely they were pressed together, and that one of her hands had landed squarely on his backside, she quickly jumped away from him, her face filling with color as she apologized. 

Killian chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, Swan. I’ve been secretly hoping someone would grab hold of me all night!”

She turned her gaze from the floor up to his smirking face, and rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot!” she said fondly. 

“Aye, that’s what I’ve been told!” His smile grew larger when he saw her lips curl into a grin. “We can leave whenever you’re ready, Swan.”

“Are you okay to drive?”

“I drank my last Guiness over three hours ago, and I only had three all night, so I’m fine.”

“In that case, I think I’m ready to go.”

“I’ll get our coats. You can start saying your goodbyes.”

Emma began making her rounds, seeking out Tink and Graham, Belle and Will, and a couple of other people she had met that evening. By the time she found Mary Margaret and David, who were tucked into a dark corner being very affectionate with each other, Killian had returned carrying her coat. 

“I’m not sure if I should interrupt,” Emma snickered. 

Killian didn’t hesitate. He walked over and leaned down to make loud kissing noises in David’s ear. In his inebriated state, it took several seconds for him to respond. 

“Wha’ the hell, Jones? Can’t a man kiss his girlfrien’ withou’ being in...inner...innerrupted?”

Mary Margaret started giggling and got up out of her boyfriend’s lap. “Are you guys leaving?”

“Aye. It’s been a great party, but we’re both ready to go to bed,” Killian answered. 

“Together?” David slurred.

“David!” Mary Margaret admonished, slapping his arm. 

Killian glanced at Emma and saw that her face was filled with color. He shrugged apologetically. “Uh, no, Mate. That’s not in the plans.” 

David finally seemed to realize what he’d said. “Oh, um, sorry abou’ that.”

Mary Margaret shook her head at him, then gave Emma a hug. “Did you have fun, tonight?”

“Yes, I did. Thanks for inviting me - I’m really glad I came!” 

“Good! Happy New Year, Emma!”

Hugs and more best wishes were exchanged before Killian helped Emma slip into her coat. They made the short walk to the car and he opened the door, waited until she got settled inside, then walked around the back of the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat. 

“I’m, uh, sorry about Dave. He doesn’t get drunk very often, but when he does, his mouth moves faster than his brain,” he apologized, as he fastened his seatbelt. 

“Don’t worry about it. It was funny to see him like that, actually! I think M’s was a little tipsy, too.”

“Well, they knew they didn’t have to drive anywhere tonight.” He checked his mirrors and backed out of the parking space. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. I really can’t wait until I get past this stage of being exhausted most of the time, though.” 

“I’m sure you can’t. When do you go back to the doctor?” 

“Next week. I’m looking forward to hearing the baby’s heartbeat again. I think they’re going to take an ultrasound, too. They said I should be able to get printouts of the pictures.”

“Liam always sent me pictures of Declan’s sonograms. It was a little difficult to figure out what I was looking at exactly, but it was still exciting to see how he was growing.” 

They rode in silence for a few minutes, then Killian asked, “Is Mary Margaret going to your appointment with you?” 

“No, she had to take off work last time, and I don’t want her to have to do that again.”

“You’re going by yourself, then?”

“Yeah, but it’s no big deal. I’m used to being on my own.” Killian wasn’t quite sure why her simple statement sat like a stone in his stomach. 

There wasn’t any more conversation as he navigated the busy streets. He pulled up to the curb in front of the shelter and looked over to see that Emma had dozed off once again. He smiled before pulling on her coat sleeve to try to rouse her. “Swan, you’re home.” 

“Hmm? Oh, yeah - home,” she said blearily, looking around to get her bearings. 

Killian got out and circled around the car to open her door. She took his offered hand and stepped out. “Thanks so much, Killian. I really appreciate you taking me.”

“No problem! I was happy to have the company. Don’t forget to check your schedule and let me know what evening will work for our book discussion.” 

“I won’t. Goodnight, Killian, and again, Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year, Emma. I hope this is the beginning of a great year for you.”

“Well, it’s already starting out better than just about any other one I can remember. I’ll see you at church on Sunday!” 

He watched as she walked to the front doors, where she turned with a smile to give him one last wave. He returned it before getting into his car and driving away. 

*********

Emma got ready for bed and was snuggled under her blanket by the time Ruby entered their curtained area. “Hey, Em. Are you awake?” she asked in a loud whisper. 

“No.”

“Liar.” 

Emma laughed and pushed herself up to her elbow. “How was your date?” 

Ruby sighed happily and sank down onto her cot. “It was wonderful! Peter said he loved my dress, the restaurant was elegant, but not intimidating, and the food was awesome! Afterwards, we went to a party at his friend’s house. Did you have fun?” 

“Yeah. There was a game room there, so I just _ had  _ to beat Killian at a few games of darts.” 

“Bet he hated that! In my experience, guys don’t like to be shown up when it comes to sports.”

“He actually wasn’t a sore loser at all.”

“Okay, what’s this guy’s deal? I mean, he’s like the perfect man, Em! He’s sweet and funny, and drop-dead gorgeous! Does he date anybody?” 

Her question made Emma’s heart skip a beat. “I, uh, I don’t think so. He didn’t have anyone to bring tonight, and he hasn’t ever mentioned anyone in our conversations.”

“That’s hard to believe. He’s gonna make somebody a great boyfriend. Too bad you guys are firmly entrenched in the friend zone!” She got up and stretched, yawning widely. “Well, I’m gonna go brush my teeth and hit the hay. I’m sleeping ‘til at least noon, since the diner is closed and we don’t have to help around here until dinner prep.” She gathered her things to take to the bathroom and left their area. 

Emma laid back down and thought about her friend’s words. She wasn’t sure why it bothered her to think of Killian dating someone. After all, Ruby was right about her and Killian being nothing more than friends, so why did it give her a sick feeling to think about him having a girlfriend? Of course he was bound to have one sooner or later. A woman would have to be crazy not to want to date him, given the chance.  _ Does that make YOU crazy?  _ The question popped unbidden into her mind, but she willfully tried to push it away. 

Ruby came back, crawled into her bed, and was soon sound asleep, but despite being exhausted, Emma laid awake for quite a while. She couldn’t seem to stop all of the thoughts swirling around in her head about a certain dark-haired, blue-eyed man. 

*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and leaving kudos & comments. Next week's chapter will post a day early as my baby boy is turning 21 and we'll be visiting him at college on Sunday.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary: Emma and Killian plan a movie night; Emma tells Marco about the baby, which leads to a misunderstanding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Krystal, who despite celebrating one child's birthday and preparing for another one's wedding, found time to give me encouragement and valuable input this week. As always, thanks to Mary, the world's best beta, and Saj, who may be clumsy enough to give herself a concussion, but continues to encourage me every day.   
> Also, thanks to Hollye for allowing me to quote a comment she made in this chapter.

“This book is better than the movie they made about it,” Killian commented. He and Emma had been meeting to discuss books once a week for over a month. 

“I never saw the movie.” 

“It was pretty good, just not quite as good as the book. You should watch it sometime.”

Emma shrugged as she flipped through the book in her hands, and Killian suddenly realized that she probably didn’t have access to a television - at least not one on which she could choose a movie to watch. 

“You know, we could add a movie night to our week, if you’d like. I have access to a lot of movies through a couple of different streaming services.”

“I don’t...um...I don’t know what that is.”

“It’s a way of watching movies and television programs online.”

“Oh, I see. Do they have this movie?” 

“I’ll have to check. I saw it when it came out in theaters.” He grabbed the remote control off the coffee table and flipped on the television. Emma watched with interest as he scrolled through and clicked on different screens. “They have it on Hulu,” he finally announced. “Do you want to come over and watch it later this week?”

“Sure! I’m off at two o’clock on Friday, if that works for you. Unless...you have a date that evening.”

Killian looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. “I haven’t been on a date in months.”

“Why not?” she blurted out, then felt the heat moving into her cheeks. “You don’t have to answer that, Killian. I’m sorry - it was rude of me to ask.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind.” He scratched behind his ear, then rubbed his scruffy jaw. “I just, uh, I guess I’m not really interested in dating anyone right now.” 

“Oh.” 

Killian cleared his throat. “Anyway, Friday will work. Do you want to keep the same routine? You’ll go walking with me and Zeke, then come back here for supper before we watch the movie?” 

“Would you like it if I walk with you another night this week, Zeke?” Emma asked the dog, who was currently laying beside her on the couch with his head in her lap. He licked her hand and beat his tail against the armrest. 

“I think that’s a ‘yes’,” Killian chuckled.

*********

“So let me get this straight - you’re going to his house, watching a movie and ordering takeout on a Friday night?” Ruby said.

“That’s right. What’s your point?” Emma asked. 

“That sounds suspiciously like a date to me.”

“How many times do I have to tell you that he’s just a friend, Ruby? I even asked him why he doesn’t date and he said he’s not interested in dating anyone. Did you get that?  _ Not interested in anyone _ . That includes me.”

“Do you wish he was, though?”

Emma heaved an exasperated sigh. “I don’t know, Rubes! What difference does it make? It’s not going to happen, and I’m not going to ruin one of the best friendships I’ve ever had by wishing for it to be more.”

Ruby stayed uncharacteristically quiet for a while, as she continued sorting through a tub of donated clothing. Finally, she said, “I can understand that, Em, but please don’t completely dismiss the possibility of ever dating him. I still think it could happen one day.”

Emma didn’t answer, but Ruby knew her friend was thinking about what she’d said. 

*********

She was still thinking about it Friday night, which ended up being windy, rainy and cold. Killian texted Emma to tell her that he would drive over to the shelter to pick her up, and when she got into the car, he noticed she didn’t even look at him. 

“Is everything okay, Swan?” he asked. 

“Oh, um, yeah. I’m just a little tired.”

“Would you rather stay here and get some sleep?” 

“No, I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t want to disappoint Zeke, after all!”

Killian pulled away from the curb. “He’s already upset that he’s not getting his walk. When I didn’t grab his leash, he actually laid down and pouted.”

“Aww, poor baby! I hope he perks up when he sees his favorite person!”

“After everything I do for that dog, he still chooses you over me! That doesn’t seem quite fair!”

He was delighted to hear her giggle as he turned onto his street. 

“What are we ordering for dinner tonight?” she asked.

“What are you in the mood to eat?”

“I really liked what we got from that Mexican restaurant the first week we had our book discussion.”

“Mexican it is, then.”

“You don’t have to get it just because I said I liked it.”

Killian glanced over at her. She had her head down and was studying her hands in her lap. He could tell something was bothering her, but he had learned that if he tried to push Emma Swan to open up to him, she was more likely to shut down instead, effectively ending any discussion at all. 

“It’s fine with me. I’ll never turn down the chance to eat a chimichanga!”

He pressed the button to raise the garage door and parked inside. Then he got out and walked around to open the car door for her as he always did, but she had already climbed out by the time he got there. Raising an eyebrow in surprise, he went to open the door of the house, stepping back so she could enter first. 

“Go ahead,” she said. “You don’t have to be such a gentleman all the time.” 

“My mum would be very disappointed in me if I wasn’t. As I’ve told you before, she made sure she taught us how to act like proper gentlemen.”

He continued to wait for her to go through the door, and finally she sighed and walked past him into the house, where she found herself in the laundry room. Killian pushed the door leading to the kitchen open and suddenly Emma was welcomed exuberantly by a wiggling bundle of fur. 

“Now _ this _ one,” Killian was saying, trying to make sure Zeke didn’t jump up on her, “obviously  _ wasn’t  _ trained to be a gentleman!”

Emma was laughing as she tried to pet the overly excited dog, and Killian shook his head fondly as he watched the two of them. Opening a kitchen drawer, he dug through it until he found the takeout menu for their chosen restaurant. 

By the time the food arrived, they had eaten, and settled on the couch to start watching the movie, Emma seemed to be back to her usual self. Killian still didn’t know what had caused her slightly odd behavior, but he assumed it was the moodiness associated with her pregnancy. 

While he searched through the menu on the television, Emma said, “I’m going to tell Marco about the baby tomorrow.” They were scheduled to help their elderly friend the next day, along with David and Mary Margaret. 

He turned to look at her, and remarked, “That’s good. I’m sure he’ll be happy to hear it.” 

“Well,  _ I’m _ not. I’m actually kind of nervous. He comes from an era when it was taboo for a woman to have a baby without being married, let alone not even having a father in the picture. I hope he won’t be upset with me.”

“Swan, this is  _ Marco _ you’re talking about; he cares about you. The only thing he’s going to be upset about is the fact that the baby’s father left you all alone. If I know Marco, he’ll probably want to be the honorary grandfather!”

Emma looked up and gave him a weak smile. “My baby would be lucky to have him as a grandfather.”

“Aye, she would,” he replied, turning his attention back to the television.

“ _ She? _ What makes you think the baby is a girl?”

“I don’t know, I just have a feeling. What do you think it is?”

She shrugged. “I don’t have a clue.”

“Do you have a preference? I mean, I know most people will say they don’t, and that they’re just hoping the baby is healthy, but I’m not sure they’re being completely honest. So, if you had a choice, what would you want it to be?”

Emma looked thoughtful. “I guess I could relate to a girl a little more, and it would be fun to put her into pretty outfits. If it turns out to be a boy, you’ll have to give him gentleman lessons!”

Killian chuckled. “I’d be more than willing to do that, Swan.”

He finally located the movie and clicked on it. “Sorry that took so long. I should have saved it to my list so it would’ve been easier to find.” 

“I’m in no hurry.”

Twenty-five minutes into the movie, Killian felt Emma leaning against his right arm. Moments later, he heard her deep, even breathing, signifying that she had fallen asleep. He thought perhaps she had just dozed off, but as the movie continued, he realized she wasn’t going to wake up to watch any more of it. 

When the credits came on the screen, Killian selected the next episode of a show he’d been watching the last few days. At the end of it, he knew he would have to get up and stretch soon, after sitting still for nearly three hours. He shifted his position to stand up, thinking the movement would awaken Emma, but it didn’t. He eased her into a prone position on the sofa, and yet she slept on. 

He put Zeke out the back door, went to brush his teeth, then let the dog back inside. After getting a drink of water, Zeke went back to where Emma lay and promptly gave her a wet kiss across the cheek. 

“Zeke!” his owner scolded, as Emma finally stirred and opened her eyes. She slowly sat up and blinked groggily. 

“Is the movie over?” she rasped, looking at the blank TV screen.

“Aye, it is. You slept through most of it.”

“I’m sorry. I must have been more tired than I thought. I...um...I guess I better get back to the shelter.”

“I was thinking about that. Since we’re both going to the church in the morning, I thought maybe you could just stay here tonight, IF you’re comfortable with that idea.”

“Oh, um, I...don’t know. I mean, it’s not that I’m uncomfortable, but...”

“Do you have to go back? Will Ruby worry about you?”

“No, she knew I was coming over here tonight. Besides, she might not be there anyway. She’s been spending some nights at Peter’s sister’s apartment. Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

“Positive. You’re welcome to crash on the sofa, but I do have a bed in my spare room. All I have to do is put some sheets on it.” 

“You don’t need to do that - the couch is fine.”

“I can take you to the shelter in the morning so you can change clothes.”

“That’s not necessary. I just put these on after work.” 

“I’ll give you a pair of my pajama trousers and a shirt to sleep in.”

“I’m okay sleeping in my jeans.”

“That doesn’t seem very comfortable. I’ll put the clothes in the bathroom along with a toothbrush you can use. I always have a couple of extra on hand.”

When Emma returned to the living room wearing the oversized flannel pants cinched tight with the drawstring, and long-sleeved T-shirt, she found a pillow and warm blanket on the couch. Killian soon emerged from his bedroom and asked, “Are you sure you’ll be comfortable enough out here, Love?”

“Yeah, this is good, thanks,” she replied, laying down on the sofa and pulling the blanket over herself. Zeke stretched out on the floor in front of the couch and put his head on his paws. 

“I see you’ve made your choice for where  _ you’re _ sleeping tonight, Zeke - you traitor!”

“He’s my best furry friend, aren’t you, Zekey boy?” She petted the top of his head, then looked back at Killian. “Where does he usually sleep?”

“He’s got his own bed in my room, but he usually ends up warming up the end of _ my _ bed. I guess my feet will just have to be cold tonight!”

“Wear socks,” Emma suggested with a smirk. 

“I suppose I’ll have to!” he chuckled. “Good night, Swan. Pleasant dreams.”

“Good night, Killian. Thank you for letting me stay.” 

“No problem. See you in the morning.”

Emma snuggled into the pillow and caught a whiff of Killian’s scent on the pillowcase. She inhaled deeply and let her eyes drift shut with a smile on her face. 

*********

Zeke was still laying on the floor beside Emma when she woke up the next morning. She leaned down and scratched behind his ears. “Good morning, boy. Did you sleep there all night?” The dog raised his head and started panting, which gave him a happy look.

Emma swung her feet around to sit up, and stretched her arms above her head. The sleeves of the shirt slid up to her elbows, so she yanked them back down past her fingertips as she pushed herself off the couch. 

She peeked into the kitchen to check the time on the microwave and saw that it was only 6:40. Suddenly, her stomach lurched and she made a dash to the bathroom, kicking the door closed before she bent over the toilet bowl. Although her bouts of morning sickness weren’t as frequent anymore, she still had them on occasion.  _ “Why did it have to be today?”  _ she thought, sitting back against the wall after emptying the contents of her stomach. 

There were two taps on the door, then she heard Killian quietly ask, “Swan? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just, um...morning sickness,” she explained. 

“I’ll get you a washcloth and a cup of water. Be right back.”

Emma sighed and reached over to flush the toilet. Now she would have to face the embarrassment of waking him up by vomiting in his bathroom. 

Again she heard light knocks on the door. “May I come in, Emma?”

She shakily pushed herself to her feet and opened the door for him with her head down. “I’m sorry I woke you up, Killian,” she mumbled. 

“You didn’t. I was already awake and scrolling through my phone when you, uh, when I heard you.” He handed her the water and went to the sink to wet the washcloth. 

Emma took a couple of sips and rinsed her mouth, then accepted the dampened cloth to wipe her sweaty face, still not meeting his eyes. 

“Do you get sick every morning?” 

She shook her head. “Not as much anymore. I can’t believe it happened this morning.”

“Are you going to be alright?”

“Yeah, I usually only get sick once, then I feel fine.”

“I was going to make breakfast. Do you feel up to eating some eggs and toast?”

“Sure, that sounds great.”

“I’ll get right on it, after I let Zeke in. He was standing outside the bathroom door very concerned about you. I had to force him to go outside.”

“He’s my buddy. He didn’t even move from beside the couch all night.”

“I knew there was a connection between the two of you from that very first day, when you helped me choose him,” Killian grinned. “How do you like your eggs?” 

“Um, doesn’t really matter. I don’t like them with runny yolks, though.”

He made a face. “I’m with you on that! Is scrambled okay?”

“Perfect. I’ll be out to help you after I brush my teeth and get changed. Where do you want me to put your clothes?” 

“There’s a hamper in my bedroom, or you can just toss them in the laundry room.”

When she stepped into his room to find the hamper, she saw that it was just as neat as the rest of the house. The walls were painted a light blue and there were paintings of ships on the ocean hung on three of the walls. He had already made his bed, with a navy blue and white striped comforter covering it. 

Zeke came to find her and pushed his nose into her hand. She knelt down and gave him a reassuring hug. “I’m fine, buddy. Thanks for caring.”

The two of them walked out to the kitchen where they found Killian whisking eggs. She saw him adding a little water to the bowl and curiosity got the better of her. “Why are you watering down the eggs?”

“Adding water makes them fluffier.”

“Huh. I never knew that, not that I’ve ever done much cooking.”

“After my father left, I did a lot of the cooking because Mum and Liam were always working. We had eggs quite often since they were cheap, and I picked up tricks here and there for making them taste better.”

“I thought you said you were only ten when your father took off.”

“I was, but I had to grow up pretty fast.”

“I know how that is. What can I do to help?” 

“You can pop the bread in the toaster. I hope you like wheat bread, because that’s all I’ve got.”

“I’m not a picky eater. When you don’t know when your next meal is going to be, you pretty much eat whatever you can get,” she said offhandedly, as she untwisted the tie on the loaf of bread. 

Killian glanced over at her sadly, reminded of all the hardship she’d had to endure in her short lifetime. 

“Do you want me to get out any butter or jelly?” she asked. 

“I have both in the fridge. I like butter on my toast, no jelly. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

As she opened the refrigerator door to select the spreads, he added, “Oh, and I got some hot chocolate pods for the Keurig. I figured if you were coming over for movie nights every week, you might want some.”

Emma was glad her face was buried in the refrigerator so he couldn’t see her reaction. The fact that he had gone to the trouble of buying her favorite drink made tears spring to her eyes. She was constantly surprised at the kindness shown to her by her new friends. It was something she didn’t think she’d ever get used to, after being treated like she was nothing but an inconvenience all her life. 

“Th-thanks,” she finally managed. “That sounds good.” 

She placed the grape jelly and tub of butter on the counter and looked around at the drawers. He used the spatula to point to the one beside the dishwasher. “Silverware is in there.” She pulled it open to see the knives, forks and spoons neatly sorted into separate compartments. 

“Seriously, how is everything in your house so organized?” she asked. 

Killian barked out a laugh. “I wasn’t always like this. Just ask Dave what our apartment looked like when we were in college, especially during exams week. It was a disaster! I guess since it’s my own house now, I take pride in keeping it clean and orderly.”

He stepped behind her and reached over her right shoulder to open the cupboard. She was surrounded by his scent and her breath hitched at his nearness, causing her to admonish herself to get it together. 

Meanwhile, Killian was having a similar reaction to being in such close proximity to Emma. As he reached into the cupboard to retrieve two plates, his forearm brushed against her hair. He closed his eyes at the pleasant feeling of her soft, blond locks on his bare skin, but then quickly grabbed the plates and returned to the stove. 

He mentally berated himself for having such a reaction to her.  _ She’s your friend, Jones; your pregnant friend! Touching her accidentally shouldn’t be making you feel like this. _ Still, he couldn’t completely push the thought of how much he liked being with Emma out of his mind. 

Soon they were sitting down to eat and she noticed that he kept checking on her out of the corner of his eye. Finally, she laid her fork down and said, “Don’t worry, Killian - I really _ do _ feel fine. I’ve never gotten sick more than once a day. Actually, this is the first time in a couple of weeks, and honestly, I thought I was over it.”

“Liam’s wife Rose had terrible morning sickness for the first six months with Declan, although she had it more than just in the morning. They almost admitted her to the hospital once because she was so dehydrated.”

“Yeah, I know some people get really, really sick, so I’ve been pretty lucky.” She took a bite of her toast then sneakily fed a bit of crust to Zeke, who was sitting beside her, looking hopeful.

“Swan, you’re spoiling that dog. No wonder you’re his favorite!”

Emma giggled. “Every dog should be spoiled. I remember this one foster family I lived with had a little dachshund. I think her name was Daisy...or Lily - some flower name. The parents treated that dog like a baby. They dressed her up in little sweaters and dresses, and fed her special canned food. She was adorable!”

Killian rolled his eyes. “Don’t expect me to start buying clothes for Zeke, although I think he’d look pretty cool in a leather jacket!” He listened to her laugh before adding, “You definitely seem to have a way with dogs.”

“Well, they don’t judge like people do; they’re very accepting. They don’t care if you have nice clothes or a big house, and they don’t make snide remarks about you.” She stopped talking suddenly and her cheeks filled with color. 

Killian reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “As far as I’m concerned, Zeke is just as much your dog as he is mine, so spoil him rotten if you want.”

Zeke gave a little yip, and both humans broke into laughter. “I think he agrees with that!” Killian said. 

They finished breakfast and cleaned up the kitchen together, and still had plenty of time before they needed to head to the church. 

“Would you like to watch part of the movie that you slept through last night?” Killian asked with a smirk. 

Emma elbowed him in the ribs after she hung up the dish towel. “Don’t be cheeky! Actually, from what I saw, I wasn’t that impressed; the book was definitely better. I don’t mind that I missed it.”

“Well, we have over an hour before it’s time to go. What would you like to do?”

He watched as Emma shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably. “I was wondering if, um, if you wouldn’t mind...I mean, it’s fine if you don’t want me to, but...you know what? Forget it.”

“Just ask, Swan.” She looked up to see him give her a smile and a small nod. 

“I would kind of like to take a shower. I didn’t get to take one after work yesterday because all the stalls were in use when I got back to the shelter, then I had to help prep for dinner before you picked me up. I know it’s kind of rude to ask, but…”

“I don’t consider it rude at all, Emma. Of course you can shower here, unless you’d rather take a bath. I’m afraid I only have men’s shampoo and shower soap, but you’re welcome to use them. I’ll set a towel on the sink for you.”

“Thanks, Killian. You’re the best!” 

“I know!” he grinned, and she rolled her eyes. “I’m going to take Zeke for a walk, since we didn’t get to go for one last night. Take your time and enjoy a nice hot shower or a soak in the tub.”

Emma couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a bath, so she decided to take him up on his offer and began filling the tub with steaming water. After lowering her body into it, she sank down until the water was up to her chin, closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly. Running her hands over her belly, she could tell there was a gentle swell beginning to form. She wondered when she would start showing enough for other people to notice. 

When Killian and Zeke returned, Emma was in the living room with a towel wrapped around her head. 

“I don’t, um, I don’t have a hairbrush. I should have thought of that before I washed my hair.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have a brush either, unless you want to use Zeke’s?”

“Ha, ha, very funny!” 

Killian chuckled, then asked, “Will a comb work?”

“Uh, yeah, that’ll be fine. Thanks.”

She followed him into the bathroom, where he dug through a drawer until he found a larger comb. He handed it to her as he asked, “Do you need any help?” 

“Oh, um, no, I can do it. Thanks, though.” He nodded and left the bathroom, and Emma stood looking at the doorway for several moments, wondering once again at his kindness and acceptance. 

*********

Killian informed Mary Margaret and David of Emma’s intention to tell Marco about the baby, and they agreed to make sure the old man and Emma would have some time alone together. After they’d been working around Marco’s house for well over an hour, Mary Margaret and David left to get his groceries, and Killian went outside to take the Christmas lights off the bushes, something he hadn’t had a chance to do yet, even though the holiday had been more than a month before. 

“How would you like a cup of tea, Emma?” Marco asked her, already moving to the cupboard to get the cups and saucers. 

“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t have tea with you, Marco.” She took the tea kettle to the sink to fill it, set it on the burner to heat, and got out the sugar bowl. The two worked around each other in the small kitchen, and Marco was happy to see that the young lady seemed to feel very comfortable now. 

Once the tea was prepared, they sat sipping it silently for a while before Emma cleared her throat. “Um, I have something to tell you.”

Marco smiled kindly. “And what would that be, dear girl?”

“I, uh…” she paused to take another small drink of her tea. Then she brought her eyes up to meet his. “I’m going to have a baby.”

She could see that it took a few seconds for him to register what she’d told him, but then he rose to his feet, exclaiming, “Oh, Emma! How wonderful! You must be so happy!” He enfolded her in a warm hug, squeezing her affectionately before stepping back to look into her face. 

She saw the broad, genuine smile on his face, and couldn’t help smiling back at him. “Yeah, I’m getting pretty excited about it, actually.” 

Just then, the door opened and Killian entered, wiping his feet off on the rug. “Ah, my boy!” Marco greeted. “Emma has told me the happy news! Congratulations!”

Emma and Killian exchanged a puzzled look, then they both realized at the same time what Marco meant. 

“Oh, no, Marco!” Emma sputtered, while Killian scratched behind his ear, the tip of which was turning very red. 

Marco looked between the two of them and his forehead creased in confusion. “Have I said something wrong?” 

“The baby...isn’t Killian’s,” Emma explained, her face filling with color. 

Killian added, “Emma and I are just friends, Marco. We aren’t dating each other.” 

“Oh, I see. But I thought that...seeing how well the two of you get along and seem so connected to each other...ah, well! Please forgive an old man for my mistake!” 

“It’s okay,” Killian assured him. “I guess, um, I guess it would be a natural assumption since you always see us together.”

“Well, perhaps you could bring your young man around to meet me sometime, eh?” Marco said, putting his hand on Emma’s shoulder. 

She dropped her head. “Uh, no, I won’t be able to do that. The father, he...he abandoned me before he even knew about the baby,” she explained, deciding not to go into the whole story with her elderly friend. 

Marco looked at Killian with a pained expression on his face. Killian shrugged his shoulders slightly and stuffed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. 

“Well, it is his loss. He is going to miss out on one of the most wonderful experiences anyone could ever have.” He studied her downturned face for a few seconds before adding, “May I ask you something, Emma?” 

She looked up at him. “Of course.”

“What are your plans for this child? Are you going to raise it yourself?”

She nodded. “Yes, I’ve decided to keep it. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll be able to provide for it…”

“She’s going to have help from all of her friends,” Killian interrupted. 

“Then I hope you count me as one of those friends,” Marco said. 

“Well, Killian and I were talking last night about how you might want to be an honorary grandfather to the baby.”

Emma had never seen a wider smile on the old man’s face. “It would be my great pleasure, my dear! Holding a tiny one in my arms once again will be such a joy! How soon until he or she makes its appearance?” 

“My due date is July 12th.” 

“How have you been feeling? I remember when my sweet wife was expecting our August, she was very ill for several months.”

“I’ve had some morning sickness, but it hasn’t been bad. The worst part has been the exhaustion.”

“Ah, yes. I do remember that, too!”

“She couldn’t even make it through a third of the movie we were watching last night!” Killian chuckled. 

“Hey! I can’t help it that the movie put me to sleep! Next time, pick one that’s a little more exciting!”

“We’ll have to choose one together, then. That way I won’t have to take all the blame if you snore all the way through it again.”

“I do not snore!”

“Beg to differ, Swan! I could barely hear the movie!” 

Marco watched the banter continue to take place between the two with a knowing smile on his face. 

*********

When Mary Margaret and David returned with the groceries, Killian helped carry them in, but before they could start putting them away, Marco grasped his sleeve. “Could you please help me in the workshop, my boy?”

“Aye, of course I can.”

Once they were inside, Marco turned to look at the younger man. “You say you and Emma are just friends, eh?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that all that you want to be - just friends?” 

Killian could feel the heat moving up his neck into his face. “Why do you ask?” 

“It seems to me the two of you have a...a deeper relationship than that of simple friendship.”

Killian sighed. “Marco, Emma has...she’s been through a lot, and it’s difficult for her to trust anyone. You heard her say that her boyfriend abandoned her and...well, let’s just say it wasn’t the first time she’s ever been abandoned in her life. Mary Margaret, David and I are sowing seeds of trust with Emma because we want her to know that we’re her friends and are here for her, no matter what. Hopefully, those seeds will grow into a lasting friendship. Whether they grow into anything else, I just don’t know, but I can’t take the chance of hurting her again if we start dating and it doesn’t work out.”

Marco nodded slowly. “I understand your reasons for being cautious, but...perhaps in the future, eh?”

Killian gave his friend a slight smile. “In all honesty, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

*********

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the early posting date this week! Next week, I should be back to the normal schedule of posting on Sunday. Thanks for reading, and especially for leaving kudos & comments!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma has a surprise for her friends, and Ruby has a surprise for Emma.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My usual thanks to Mary & Saj, and special thanks to the ladies on the Captain Swan Movie Marathon Discord. You have all made me feel so welcome & have been very helpful & encouraging! I can't thank you enough!

Two weeks after Emma told Marco about the baby, she had her twenty weeks doctor appointment. Afterwards, she went straight to work at the diner, and asked Granny for a special favor as soon as she arrived. When she found out what it was, the usually gruff lady smiled and pulled her young employee into one of her rare, but especially warm hugs. At the end of Emma’s shift, Granny handed her a square, white cardboard cake box tied with a string, while giving her a secretive smile. 

“What’s in the box, Em?” Ruby asked as they made their way back to the shelter. She noticed that her friend seemed very excited when she arrived at the diner, but because it was a Friday, they were swamped with customers and she hadn’t gotten a chance to speak to Emma alone. 

“It’s a surprise,” Emma replied. 

Ruby continued to try to wheedle the secret out of her the entire four blocks, but Emma just smiled and ignored her pleading. 

At last they reached the front doors of the brick building they had called home for almost four months, and Emma turned to her friend to ask, “Are you coming to church Sunday?” Ruby would occasionally attend with Emma when they didn’t have to work. 

“Probably, why?” 

“Plan on staying afterwards for a short while and you’ll find out what’s in the box.”

Ruby’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean I have to wait two more days?”

“Technically, today is almost over, and the church service will be over by eleven-thirty so it’s not…”

“Don’t be a smart ass, Emma Swan!”

Emma giggled. “It’ll be worth the wait, I promise.”

When they entered their curtained-off area, Emma set the box carefully on her trunk and sent a group text to Mary Margaret, David and Killian. She called Marco since she knew he wasn’t comfortable with texting, then walked to the office to invite Belle and Will. By the time Ruby came back in after having showered and dressed for her date, Emma had assurances from all of her friends that they would be able to stay for a while after services were over on Sunday. 

“Don’t let that sit out, or you won’t have anything to surprise us with,” Ruby reminded her, pointing at the mysterious box. There had been a rash of things that had gone missing in the shelter recently, including Ruby’s supply of red nail polish. 

“Oh, yeah, you’re probably right about that. Do you have room for it in your trunk? I know I don’t.”

“No, I’ve pretty much stuffed everything I own in there to keep it from disappearing. I hope Graham catches the person who’s stealing stuff, soon. Maybe if he could keep his eyes off of Tink for any amount of time, he’d be able see what’s going on right under his nose!”

“Since we don’t work until Sunday evening, I was afraid I would forget to pick this up before church,” Emma worried, glancing around the small space for a non-existent hiding spot. “What should I do?”

“Aren’t you going to loverboy’s tomorrow?” Emma rolled her eyes, but decided not to make a comment on Ruby’s nickname for Killian. “Maybe he can keep it for you, unless you’re afraid he’ll peek. If that’s the case, you should probably just spend the night again to make sure he doesn’t!” Her teasing, toothy grin stretched across her face. Ever since she’d found out about Emma staying at Killian’s overnight, she had good-naturedly razzed her friend about it.

“That’s a good idea - the part about leaving the box there, I mean, and I’m sure if I asked him not to peek, he wouldn’t look inside.”

“Of course he wouldn’t. After all, he  _ is _ the ‘perfect gentleman’!” Ruby said breathily in a Scarlett O’Hara-type accent, dramatically batting her eyelashes and crossing her hands over her heart. 

Emma attempted to give her friend a stern look, but instead dissolved into giggles in response to her antics. “Aren’t you gonna be late for your date?” she finally managed to ask.

“You gotta leave ‘em hanging once in a while; otherwise they’ll start taking you for granted!” Ruby explained. “Bye, Em. Don’t wait up!” She blew a kiss in Emma’s direction then winked, leaving the blonde still laughing. 

*********

Emma ended up sliding the box under her cot, taking pains to hide it with her blanket while she took a quick shower. Even though its contents weren’t anything expensive, they were still precious to her, and she didn’t want them to end up missing. 

The next morning, she decided to take Ruby’s advice, and gave Killian a call.

“Good morning, Swan,” he answered, obviously recognizing her number. 

“Hey, Killian,” she responded, pausing to catch her breath once she heard his voice. She noticed it was deeper and had a more pronounced accent, probably due to him just waking up. 

“Is something wrong? Are you unable to make it this morning?”

“No, I’ll be there, I just have a favor to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“You know how I asked you to stay after church tomorrow for a surprise?”

“Aye.”

“Well, I need a safe place to keep the...the box the surprise is in. There’s been a problem with someone stealing things around here lately, and I …”

“Bring it along this morning, Love. I can keep it here for you.”

“Are you sure you don’t mind?”

“Absolutely,” he said firmly. “I was actually going to call you this morning to ask if you want to stay here after our movie night. I’ve made up the bed in the spare room, and Zeke would love for you to have a sleepover with him again.” He knew that Ruby often spent the weekend with Peter at his sister’s apartment, and he hated to think of Emma being alone at night. He figured she’d spent far too many nights on her own already. 

“Um, yeah, sure. That way you won’t have to worry about bringing me back here if the movie ends late.”

“It’s not just that, Swan. I figured since your surprise box will be here, you might as well stay, so you can take it to church yourself.” He knew it sounded like a lame excuse, but he was looking for a reason to spend more time with her, without making her uncomfortable. 

“That makes sense. I’ll bring my clothes for church along with me.”

“Good. I’ll see you in an hour then.”

*********

They had already discussed taking Zeke for a walk to the dog park, which they did after they finished working at the church. Once they returned to Killian’s house, they started to plan dinner, with Killian offering to show her how to make an easy version of Shepherd’s Pie. Emma was excited about the chance to do some cooking, before they settled down to watch their chosen movie together. 

“Do these look okay?” Emma asked, holding the pot of mashed potatoes out for Killian to see. 

He scooped up a spoonful and let it plop back into the pot, then pronounced, “They’re perfect.”

“Really?”

“Aye. Couldn’t have done a better job myself, Swan.” He watched her blush before he turned back to the stove to give the meat and vegetable mixture one more stir. “Okay, now drop the potatoes on top and use this spatula to spread them evenly, but leave a little space around the edges.” 

She carefully followed his directions, and he watched in amusement as she poked her tongue out in concentration. 

When she finished, he handed her the package of cheese and watched her sprinkle it on top, then she stepped back and looked at him dubiously. “Is that enough cheese?”

He smiled as he picked up the skillet to place it in the oven. “Yes, it’s perfect! You did great! Now we just give it a few minutes under the broiler and it’ll be done.”

He saw the tension in her shoulders ease at his reassurance and wondered, not for the first time, how often she had been berated in her lifetime to cause her to be so afraid of making a mistake. 

As they waited, Emma began to gather up the utensils, bowls and pots that needed to be cleaned, and put them into the sink, while Killian returned the spices to the cupboard. They moved around each other with more ease than Killian would have thought possible just a few weeks ago. 

Zeke insisted on being right at Emma’s heels, regardless of how many times Killian told him to leave the kitchen, so they wouldn’t trip over him. He was now laying down directly behind her as she washed the dishes. Killian couldn’t help but agree with Marco’s statement that Emma and Zeke seemed to be kindred spirits. 

When they settled at the table with a large helping of Shepherd’s Pie on each of their plates, Killian said a blessing, then eagerly scooped up a forkful of food and blew on it to cool it off. After putting the bite in his mouth, he looked across the table to see Emma watching him apprehensively, biting her lip as she waited for his reaction. 

“How does it taste? Is it okay?” she worried.

Killian swallowed and smiled. “It’s delicious, Swan. Try it for yourself.”

She took a tentative bite, then her shoulders relaxed and a satisfied smile spread across her face. “It  _ is _ good!” 

“You’re quite the cook, Love. Granny may have some competition in the kitchen!”

He watched the familiar blush color her cheeks as she ducked her head. “You did most of the work; I just followed your directions. I couldn’t really screw it up.”

“Trust me, Swan, it’s possible to follow step-by-step instructions and still end up with an inedible meal. One time, I was trying to teach Dave how to make sweet-and-sour chicken, and he used salt instead of sugar for the sauce. It was disgusting! It took over an hour to get that taste out of my mouth!”

Emma laughed. “I’m definitely going to give him a hard time about that when I see him tomorrow!” she said, still giggling before she went back to eating. 

Killian finished his meal, feeling the food warm his belly, while Emma’s happiness warmed his heart. 

*********

After supper was over and the kitchen was once again spotless, Killian offered to take the clothes that Emma had laid over the back of the couch into the spare bedroom to hang them up. 

“Would you like to check out the room, Swan?”

“Are you sure you don’t mind me sleeping in there? The couch is perfectly fine.”

“Why would I mind? I should tell you that the bed isn’t in the best shape. It’s the one I had my last two years of college, when Dave and I and a couple of other guys rented a house. I picked the frame up at a garage sale and bought a cheap mattress. The lady who sold this house to me was moving to a retirement home and couldn’t take her queen-size bed with her, so she left it for me. That’s how I ended up with an extra bed. You might as well put it to use.”

Emma followed him down the hallway to the spare room, which was larger than she’d expected. The bed was the only piece of furniture in it, the walls were painted a sickly shade of yellow and there were dark green curtains at the window. 

“I haven’t gotten around to painting this room yet, and as you can see, it really needs it,” Killian apologized. 

“It doesn’t bother me,” Emma said, eyeing the double bed. She crossed the room and sat down on the edge of it, bouncing up and down a couple of times and running her hand over the thick, fleece blanket covering it. “I haven’t slept in a real bed since the last time I snuck into an empty motel room,” she mumbled, almost to herself. Killian wondered if she had even meant for him to hear it at all. 

“I, uh, I forgot that I don’t have any hangers in here. I’ll go grab some out of my room,” he said, turning to hustle out of the room. 

Every time Emma revealed a little about what her life was like prior to meeting him, Killian felt like he’d been punched in the gut. His family had struggled to make ends meet after his father left, but they always had a house to live in, food on the table, and clothes on their back. Besides the material necessities, he and Liam also had a mother who loved and took care of them, and he couldn’t imagine growing up without any of those things. 

From what he could gather, various foster families had provided the barest of physical comforts for Emma, but she never experienced the nurturing that all children should receive. 

It baffled him how she’d turned out to be so sweet, intelligent, and hard-working, given the way she had grown up. Lately, he had begun to see more of her personality shining through, and he liked what he saw. She was witty and had a great sense of humor, often bantering back and forth with him, David and Will while they worked at the church. He was also happy to hear the hopefulness in her voice when she mentioned the baby or talked about getting an apartment with Ruby once they both had enough money saved. 

When he returned with the hangers, he found Emma sitting against the headboard of the bed with Zeke laying beside her, his head in her lap. 

“If you let him on the bed now, he’s gonna expect to sleep there tonight,” Killian warned. 

“I’m good with that, as long as you’re not upset with him for being on the blanket.” Zeke turned his head around to look at his owner with his big, brown eyes, as if begging him to agree. 

“You know exactly what you’re doing, don’t you?” he chuckled, reaching over to scratch Zeke’s favorite spot on his back, near the base of his tail. “Far be it for me to be the bad guy and tell him no! Just be advised that he can be a bed hog dog!”

Emma laughed, and Killian noticed she was subconsciously rubbing her hand over her slightly rounded belly. He scratched behind his ear nervously before asking, “Can you, um, have you felt the baby move yet?”

“Not yet, but the doctor says I should be able to any day now. It’s always exciting to hear the heartbeat but I think it will make it even more real when I can actually feel h-, uh, it moving.”

“That’s exactly what Rose said when she was expecting Declan.” 

Emma sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Are you ready to start the movie?”

“Ready when you are.”

“Would it be okay if I put my pajamas on first?”

“Absolutely! I think I’ll put mine on, too. Might as well be comfortable, yeah? Meet you in the living room in a couple of minutes.”

Emma was already sitting on one end of the couch with Zeke at her feet when Killian came in, clad in flannel sleep pants and a gray henley. She pulled a blanket over herself, and said, “I hope this second movie is as good as ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’. You promised it would be, remember?”

“Aye, Swan, I remember. ‘Two Towers’ is actually my favorite of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy.” 

“Yeah, well, Merry and Pippin better be okay, or I’m never gonna trust you again!”

Killian chuckled as he settled onto the sofa and grabbed the remote. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see!” He knew she’d said it flippantly, but it still made him feel good to hear her say she trusted him. 

While he was busy bringing up the menu on the television, Emma suddenly threw back the blanket and pushed herself to her feet. “I’m gonna get a bottle of water. Do you want one?”

“Uh, sure, that would be great.” He watched her walk into the kitchen and couldn’t help smiling at how comfortable she was in his house after several weeks of their book discussions and movie nights. 

*********

Emma actually made it through the entire movie without falling asleep. Now that she was well past her first trimester, she wasn’t nearly as tired anymore. 

When Killian flicked off the television, she stood up, stretched and released a huge yawn before asking, “Will we watch the third movie next week?” 

“Did you forget that I’ll be in Ireland visiting my brother and his family, Swan?” he asked with a smirk. 

“Oh yeah, that’s right. Wow, I really lost track of time!”

Killian chuckled. “Aye, it sort of snuck up on me, as well, but I can hardly wait to see how much Declan has grown. I’m sure  _ you’ll  _ do some growing while I’m away, too!”

“You’re hilarious, Jones!” she said, playfully slapping him on the shoulder as she walked by. “I guess I can wait another week to see ‘The Return of the King’.”

“That will give you something to look forward to, in addition to seeing your favorite Irishman again! Think you’ll be able to stand that much time away from me?” he asked teasingly.

“I’ll suffer through it somehow,” she smirked, before stifling another yawn. “I’m gonna go brush my teeth and head off to bed. I want to take advantage of being in a nice, big bed.” 

“Okay, but fair warning - if you let Zeke sleep on it, you’ll probably end up hanging off the edge!” he snickered. 

“I’m sure we’ll get along just fine, won’t we boy?” she said, patting her furry friend on the head. “I’ll try to be quick in the bathroom.”

“I’m in no hurry. I’m going to put Zeke out and find the final movie to put on our watch list.”

“Sounds good. Good night, Killian. Thanks again for letting me stay.”

“You’re welcome to stay anytime, Swan. Sleep well.”

After she finished in the bathroom, Emma padded down the short hallway and entered the spare room, closing the door once Zeke had followed her in. She pulled back the covers on the bed and sank down onto the mattress, snuggling into the pillow as the blankets settled around her. 

Zeke hopped up to stretch out beside her and Emma scratched behind his ear. “I wish I could sleep in a bed like this every night,” she whispered. She knew that made her sound ungrateful for her cot at the shelter, but she couldn’t help longing to experience this comfort on a regular basis, especially in the coming months as her pregnancy progressed.

Just before her eyes drifted shut, she rolled over onto her left side, and Zeke tucked himself into the crook of her knees. She sighed in contentment, and both of them were soon sound asleep. 

*********

The next thing Emma knew, she was being awakened by tapping on the bedroom door and a voice calling, “Swan? Are you awake?”

Zeke jumped off the bed and began pawing at the door. Emma stretched, reluctantly pulled herself out of the cocoon of sheets and blankets, and stumbled across the room to let the dog out. 

Killian obviously wasn’t expecting the door to open as quickly as it did, since he was poised with his hand in the air, ready to knock again. “Oh, uh, good morning, Swan. Did you get a good night’s sleep?”

She blinked up at him through the tangle of hair hanging in her face, noticing that he was already dressed and his hair was damp. With a sleepy smile, she answered, “I did. I barely remember my head hitting the pillow.”

“Zeke didn’t bother you, then?” he asked, reaching down to ruffle his pet’s ears. 

“Nope. He was a good bed buddy, weren’t you, Zekey boy?” 

“That’s good! The bathroom is all yours if you want to take a shower. I’m going to start making some breakfast, after I take care of this guy. Do you feel up to eating something?”

She frowned. Why wouldn’t she...then she remembered that the previous time she stayed, she had a bout of morning sickness. “Yes, absolutely! I haven’t been sick since the last time I stayed here.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. I was just going to make egg sandwiches with bacon and cheese.”

“That sounds great! I’ll jump in the shower, and try not to take long.”

“Take your time. We’ve got well over an hour before we need to leave for church. I’ll start breakfast when I hear the water shut off.”

“Okay, thanks!” 

After she gathered everything she needed and took it into the bathroom, she saw that Killian had been considerate enough to lay a towel and washcloth on the counter for her. He never failed to amaze her. Her past had very few examples of men who were as thoughtful and kind as him. 

She relaxed and luxuriated in the steamy shower, knowing she didn’t have to worry about someone else waiting for her to be finished, like she did at the shelter. She shampooed her hair twice, then applied conditioner, which she left in while she lathered her body in the inexpensive body wash she’d brought with her. 

When she finally turned off the water, she squeezed the excess water from her hair with the towel, then wrapped it around herself. She brushed her hair and teeth, then dashed to the bedroom to get dressed. 

When she emerged, she could smell bacon and her stomach rumbled, reminding her that not only was she hungry, but the baby would be, too. 

Killian was putting a slice of cheese on each sandwich when she entered the kitchen. “I have the Keurig set up with your hot chocolate in it, Love. All you have to do is push the button.”

“Thank you,” she replied, as he set both plates on the table and went to the refrigerator to get out a Tupperware container of fruit. They sat down and began to eat. 

“So when do I get to find out what’s in the secret box?” he asked, gesturing to the white box sitting on his counter. 

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “You didn’t look, did you?” 

“Of course not, Swan! I just thought I might get a sneak peek.”

“No can do, buddy! I want all of you to find out the secret at the same time!” 

Killian sighed theatrically. “Fine! I guess I’ll just have to wait, even though I let you keep it here!”

“I’m sorry. I really do appreciate you letting me bring it over, but I…”

“I’m teasing, Emma! I don’t mind waiting a couple more hours. Can I make a guess though?”

“Uh...okay.”

“Is it something to do with finding out the gender of the baby?”

Her face immediately turned beet red, and he knew he had guessed correctly. 

*********

Once everything was cleaned up from breakfast, Killian helped Emma into her coat, then she reached for the box on the counter. 

“I’ve got it, Sweetness,” he told her. 

Emma stared at him as he carefully picked up the box. She had never heard him use that term of endearment before, and she felt a thrill of happiness pass through her body. 

“Thank you for everything, Killian,” she said quietly. “You really  _ are _ the best.” Before she could think better of it, she stretched up on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. 

He rewarded her with a bright smile, then followed her out the door, enjoying the warm feeling that her unexpected kiss had left behind. 

*********

When they arrived at the church, Killian opened the car door for Emma, took the box from her and stepped back so she could climb out. 

“Why don’t you go ahead and find a seat for us. It’s too early for Marco to be here, so be sure to save a spot for him. I’ll put this in the community room.”

“Will it be okay in there?” she worried. 

“I’ll put it in one of the cupboards so it will be out of sight. No one should be in there during the service.”

By the time he entered the sanctuary, Emma was already seated in a pew towards the back, and was turned around chatting with an older woman behind her. Killian smiled at the scene, reminded of how much more comfortable Emma had become with other people. She seemed to be opening up and developing more trust with every passing day. 

Marco soon joined them in their pew, with David, Mary Margaret and her parents sitting in front of them. Ruby slid into the seat just as the first notes of the opening hymn were played. She smiled tightly at Emma and joined in the singing. 

Emma had asked her friends to meet in the community room fifteen minutes after the service ended. She knew they liked to spend some time catching up with other church members after being away from them all week. 

She and Ruby made it to the room before everyone else. Emma found the box in the cupboard where Killian told her he had put it, and set it out on a table. She noticed that Ruby was unusually quiet and seemed to be trying to avoid making eye contact with her, but before she could ask her about it, Marco and Killian walked in, talking and laughing together. They were soon followed by Mary Margaret, David, Belle and Will. They gathered around the table and looked expectantly at Emma, who suddenly felt very nervous.

“What’s in the box, Emma?” Belle asked, giving her an encouraging smile.

“It’s a surprise,” Ruby informed her. 

“Does it involve food?” Will added, earning him a frown from his girlfriend, but serving to lighten Emma’s tension, as she breathed out a laugh and cleared her throat. 

“Yeah, um, I...this past Friday, the doctor told me whether I’m having a boy or a girl, so I wanted to tell all of you at once, since...since you’re my closest friends.”

An air of anticipation filled the room as Emma untied the string, then grasped the edges of the lid and slowly lifted it, revealing a box of cupcakes iced with…

“It’s a girl!” everyone chorused as they saw the pink frosting, with Will adding, “And it’s  _ food _ !”

Emma felt herself being pulled into a group hug that included Ruby, Mary Margaret, Belle, David and Will. She heard their excited voices as they wished her congratulations and best wishes over the news. 

When they released her, Mary Margaret and David offered to get plates and napkins. Belle slapped Will’s hand as he dipped his finger into the icing on one of the cupcakes, and Ruby began unfastening the sides of the cake box to fold them down. 

Emma turned around to see Marco standing a few steps away with tears in his eyes. He held out his arms and she walked forward to give him a hug. 

“A little girl! What a wonderful blessing! I hope she is as beautiful in her heart and soul as her sweet mother!”

“Thank you, Marco! I’m so happy that she’ll have you in her life!”

After one more tight squeeze, Marco took a step away, grasped Emma’s upper arms and kissed her on the forehead. “I will be here for both of you anytime, my dear. Anytime at all!”

Emma gave him a watery smile, then looked over to see Killian with one of the biggest grins she’d ever seen on his face. She moved to stand in front of him and they looked at each other for several seconds before he pulled her into his arms. 

“Congratulations, Swan! Looks like my feeling was right, and that you got your wish!”

“I honestly would have been just as happy if it was a boy, Killian. I only hope she’s healthy and I can figure out how to be her mother without screwing her up too badly.”

He held her a bit tighter and murmured in her ear, “You won’t screw her up, Sweetness, you’ll do just fine.” 

His voice in her ear sent tingles down Emma’s spine, and as soon as he pulled away, she missed the feeling of being held against him. He gestured with his arm as he reassured her, “Plus you’ve got all of us to help you. Except Scarlett - keep the poor kid away from him!” 

Emma laughed. “I’ll be sure to remember that! I better get the cupcakes passed out before he licks all the frosting off!”

She went back to the table and began placing the cupcakes on the small plates to hand out to her friends, taking great delight in making Will wait until last to get his. 

********* 

Killian and Emma took Zeke for another long walk when they got home from church. She realized this was their last day together, until he returned from his trip. Killian was planning to work late the next three days so he could leave Thursday, without having to take time off on Friday. He still had to pack and get Zeke prepared for his stay at a local dog kennel, also. 

They spent the entire time on their walk talking about the baby. Emma had shared some of her doubts about how she was going to be able to provide for her, but was happy to say that she was on track with her savings to be able to get an apartment with Ruby before the baby was born. 

Killian dropped her off at the shelter later in the afternoon, giving her another long hug before he got into his car to leave for home. He was reluctant to let her go, soaking up the pleasure of having her in his arms for as long as possible. 

When she stepped around the dividing curtain into the space she shared with Ruby, she found her friend sitting nervously on her cot with her full duffle bag on the floor beside her feet. 

“Wh-what’s going on?” Emma asked. “Why do you have all of your stuff packed?”

Ruby stood up but wouldn’t look at Emma. “Uh, Em...I, um...I’m moving into Peter’s sister’s apartment.”

Emma’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Wh-what do you mean? We were....I thought we…”

“I know we talked about getting an apartment together, but Polly is asking me to only pay one hundred dollars a month to cover part of the utilities. Peter is gonna pay another hundred since he’ll probably be staying there most of the time. I can’t really say no to that. Besides, even if you and I got an apartment together, I would hardly spend any time there. It would be a waste of money for me, honestly.”

“But...but...we had a deal! What about me? What...what about my...my baby?” Emma stammered, feeling the hot tears starting to spill over her bottom lashes. 

“Well, that’s kind of another thing,” Ruby said, turning her back to Emma. “See, I don’t really know much about babies; and when I was growing up, I was always stuck watching the kids of my parents’ drinking buddies. I mean, from the time I was only about nine years old, I was expected to take care of three or four little kids at least twice a week until their parents came stumbling home at like three o’clock in the morning. I just...I don’t think I could deal with having a crying baby or a whiny toddler around all the time.”

“How...how long have you felt this way?”

“For a few weeks now.”

Emma swiped at the tears on her cheeks as her shock at Ruby’s declaration turned into anger. “Then why didn’t you say something? Why did you keep telling me that we would get an apartment together?”

“I know I said that at first, but seeing you getting bigger made reality set in. Then when this opportunity with Polly came along, I...I wasn’t sure what to say...”

“The least you could have done was tell me you were thinking about moving in with her! That would’ve been better than letting me believe that I...that the baby and I...would have some place to live! What am I supposed to do now? I can’t afford an apartment by myself!”

“Belle said you can move into the family section of the shelter. It’s not like you’re homeless anymore, Em!”

“I don’t want to raise my baby in a shelter!”

“Maybe you should’ve thought of that before, and gotten rid of it when you had the chance!”

Emma went completely still as her face drained of color. Then she raised a shaking hand to point to the opening between the dividers. 

“Get. Out.”

“I’m sorry, Em…”

“GET OUT, RUBY! Friends don’t treat each other the way you’re treating me! Go live with your stupid boyfriend who you’ve only known for four months, but don’t come crawling back to me when the two of you break up and they throw you out!”

Ruby’s face turned an angry shade of red. “How dare you! He’s not gonna break up with me! He loves me!”

“Yeah,” Emma said in a low, quavering, monotone voice, “kinda like how Neal Cassidy loved me. Goodbye Ruby, and good luck.”

Ruby stood looking at her furiously for another few seconds, then snatched up her bag and stormed out past the divider.

Emma slumped down onto her bed, put her hands over her eyes, and sobbed. 

*******

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm anxious to see what you think of that surprise ending! My beta Mary didn't see it coming at all!   
> Thanks for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting!


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